ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Even before the Dallas Cowboys lost to a winless team with an undrafted rookie quarterback making just his second start, coach Brian Schottenheimer said the defense had to stop letting opposing QBs be so efficient.
To say the problem persists is probably an understatement.
After Jalon Daniels and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went home to Florida with a 24-16 victory, they left behind just the second team in NFL history to allow each of the first five opponents to complete at least 70% of its passes without throwing an interception, joining the 2012 Oakland Raiders, according to Sportradar.
The Cowboys overhauled the defensive roster and tried to revive a moribund unit behind the energy of a 34-year-old, first-time defensive coordinator in Christian Parker. Matt Eberflus was fired after one season, when one of the NFL's worst defenses — and one of the club's worst defenses ever — finished with a franchise-low six picks.
Now Dallas is the only NFL team without an interception this season — and last in the league in rushing defense.
“We are still, in my mind, right where we started relative to our defense,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said.
The Cowboys (2-3), who have a mini-break before playing at Green Bay on Oct. 18, were without one of the pieces they added to try to fix the defense. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was a late scratch with an illness after making his Dallas debut last Sunday, just three days after joining the team in a trade with Pittsburgh.
The usually high-powered offense went silent between Dak Prescott's opening 70-yard TD drive and a 99-yard march in the fourth quarter that kept Dallas in the game.
The Cowboys have alternated wins and losses this season. In their first season under Schottenheimer a year ago, a three-game losing streak followed their only three-game winning streak. And now Dallas is working on three years since it was more than a game over .500, with its most inexplicable home loss in at least that long.
“I feel like this game was similar to the Cardinals game last year, and I feel like I could probably pick another one from the year before,” Prescott said, referring to a 27-17 loss that was Arizona's only win in its final 15 games. “It’s these kind of games that you feel like you should just walk in and win. And I guess that some of us may feel that way, that we’ve got to find a way to make them mean just as much as the big games.”
The fourth-quarter efficiency of the Dallas offense is among the best in the NFL, bolstered by a 99-yard drive when the deficit was two touchdowns against Tampa Bay. Schottenheimer, who has been under fire for his game management, chose to try the 2-point conversion after George Pickens' TD catch. It's a popular move for the analytics crowd. But it will lead to more scrutiny for Schottenheimer. Prescott's pass was incomplete, leaving the deficit at eight. Dallas never got the chance to see whether that decision would matter.
Prescott let a “rabbit ears” moment put him in a place where he had to acknowledge being irked over hearing a third-party contractor say “embarrassing” as the quarterback walked toward the locker room after the game. Prescott turned toward the person, but he said the person turned away. “Feel free to speak your mind, just speak it, don’t cower away from the reaction that you’re going to get,” Prescott said. “Hate it that it’s even being talked about, to be honest with you.”
Porter's value grows by the game with the rest of the defensive backs mostly unable to break up passes without committing penalties. CB DaRon Bland, who set an NFL record with five interception returns for touchdowns three years ago, dropped an easy pick-6 that would have given Dallas a chance to tie on a 2-point conversion late in the fourth quarter.
TE Jake Ferguson had one of the worst games of his five-year career. The last of multiple drops was a pass that went through his hands and off his shoulder, resulting in what ultimately was a clinching interception for the Bucs with Dallas trying to rally in the fourth quarter. He finished with three catches for 19 yards.
LT Tyler Guyton's back will be the biggest issue going into the mini-break. He was forced out of the Tampa Bay game because of it. There will be hope that LB DeMarvion Overshown and CB Cobie Durant can return from hamstring injuries that have sidelined each for multiple weeks.
168.8 — The average yards rushing allowed per game by Dallas through five games. It's the second-most in franchise history, behind the gaudy 186.8 allowed by the expansion team of 1960, which went 0-11-1.
The Cowboys are 1-10-1 in their past 12 meetings with the Packers. That stretch includes three playoff losses.
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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) catches a pass over Tampa Bay Buccaneers defenders in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) leaves the field after a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)
GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) — Homeowners gassed up generators, filled bathtubs with water and bought last-minute supplies along the U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday while Hurricane Isaias gained strength as it charged toward the beaches of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
The Category 3 storm has grown into a major hurricane — the first of an unusually quiet Atlantic season — and is expected to make landfall Friday night.
Forecasters warned of a significant storm surge, damaging winds, flooding and possibly even tornadoes before the storm loses steam as it moves inland and delivers strong winds and rain well north into Atlanta.
Isaias is expected to come ashore between Mobile Bay on the Alabama coast and the city of Destin in the Florida Panhandle — a low-lying coastal stretch known for powdery white sand beaches dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks.
Residents in Panama City, Florida, braved the rain while filling sandbags Friday to protect their houses.
“I mean, it’s just the nature of the beast. It’s Florida," said Corliss Stone, who works for the fire department.
One of the biggest concerns is a storm surge that could be as high as 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 meters), according to the National Hurricane Center. Places most at risk include Florida’s Pensacola Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Anne Petzold, who lives with her husband in the Florida beach community of Gulf Breeze, said everyone in their neighborhood planned to ride out the storm. The couple installed hurricane shutters, picked up anything in their yard that could turn into a projectile and have two generators ready if they lose power.
“Everybody does what they can do, everybody asks if they need help — they ask for help, they offer help. All good,” she said. “It’s just another adventure.”
Neighbor Jay Brazzell said he went through a checklist of things to do, including stocking up on ice and gasoline. He decided to stay put because Isaias isn't as powerful as other hurricanes he's experienced.
“I mean I’m not boarding up,” said Brazzell, 69. “I’ve been through, this being, the ninth hurricane.”
Dangerous conditions are expected throughout the western panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center said. Rain began falling along the coast Friday morning, and tropical storm conditions were picking up in the early afternoon.
In a sign of how serious the warnings are, dozens of Waffle Houses in the Florida Panhandle were closed, according to the company's website. The beloved Southern breakfast chain is known for staying open through severe weather and often is a measuring stick of a storm’s severity.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents to expect flooding, wind damage, power outages and gasoline shortages.
“When the water’s rising and things are happening, it’s a very, very difficult conundrum and you do not want to be caught in that,” he said.
As of early afternoon, the storm was centered about 125 miles (235 kilometers) south of Pensacola and moving to the north-northeast, the center said. It was packing 120 mph (193 kph) sustained winds Friday morning and picking up speed. Category 3 storms are considered major hurricanes and are capable of causing devastation.
Once Isaias comes ashore, it is expected to weaken until it is downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon, the hurricane center said.
Still, heavy rain is forecast as it moves inland, with 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) or even more expected through the weekend from southern Alabama to southwestern Georgia.
Isaias, which will be the first hurricane to hit the eastern U.S. since Milton tore up the Gulf Coast of Florida in 2024, also is expected to bring heavy rain and potential flooding to much of the Southeast over the weekend, and then to parts of the Midwest and Northeast into Monday.
A hurricane warning was in place from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the western Florida Panhandle.
Counties in Florida and Alabama announced mandatory evacuations for some coastal areas while Mobile, Alabama, imposed a curfew that would begin Friday evening and last until morning.
On Dauphin Island, a barrier island off the Alabama coast, Mayor Jeff Collier said he didn't expect major damage, “but at the same time, these things are very fickle and a little jog here or there, or some last-minute increase in strength — we just have to be prepared for the worst.”
Meanwhile in the Pacific, Hurricane Simon became a Category 2 hurricane on Friday and was expected to strengthen further before making landfall in Mexico this weekend.
Tropical Storm Rachel was expected to bring heavy winds and rain to northern Mexico and Southern California this weekend.
Megnien reported from Panama City, Florida, and Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. These Associated Press journalists also contributed: Gerald Herbert in Pensacola, Florida; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas; and Hallie Golden in Seattle.
This GOES-19 GeoColor satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and taken at 1:06 p.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 9 2026, shows Hurricane Isaias approaching the Gulf Coast of Alabama and Florida . (NOAA via AP)
People sit outside an evacuation shelter as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jim McKenzie looks out over an empty beach as the effects of Isaias keep beachgoers away on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, on Mon Louis Island, Ala.(AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
An American flag flaps in the wind generated by the effects of Isaias on an empty beach on Friday, Oct. 9, loom overhead on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Mon Louis Island, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Shahar David, employee at Cafe Bistro, feeds his family before closing as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jason Coffey boards up a convenience store at a gas station as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Residents pick up sandbags for storm preparation at the James Seals Jr. Parks & Recreation Center ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Marine flags flap in the wind generated by the effects of Isaias as a vehicle passes on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Dauphin Island, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Surfers swim out to waves as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Silas Bowles, of Gulf Breeze, Fla. films the surf as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Mike Howard, foreground, and Joshua Brown board up Perdido Key Sports Bar as Hurricane Isaias approaches Perdido Key, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
People walk on the beach at sunset as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Daniel and Brand Harp, of Lebanon Tenn., here on vacation, pack their belongings to evacuate in the morning as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Isaias in the Gulf of Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP)
Larry Smith boards up his home with plywood ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast in Dauphin Island, Alabama, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
