At 0-4, the Bucs are back on the road for the first time since Week 1 when they face the 2-2 Cowboys Thursday night at AT&T Stadium. Tampa Bay is in desperate need of an upset victory over Dallas to get in the win column for the first time this year and muster up some kind of momentum before a return home to face Pittsburgh in Week 6.

The Bucs have started 0-5 just twice this century, first in 2009 when they lost their first seven games of the season and then again in 2013 when they lost eight straight to start the year. They’ll be looking to avoid making this a third 0-5 start in the last 26 years when they take the field Thursday night under the lights. Otherwise, they’ll be a step closer to matching those hideous 2009/2013 starts.

It doesn’t help that Tampa Bay is looking to halt a four-game/four-year losing streak on Thursday Night Football and reverse its fortunes in primetime overall, and being without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield for a second straight week makes the task more difficult, too.

There’s more on the line than just this season, too. Jobs are on the line. Todd Bowles’ hot seat has never been hotter, while Zac Robinson’s ineptitude has been a constant talking point and could leave him on the chopping block mid-season if the Glazers don’t want to break precedent and fire their head coach during the season. Even general manager Jason Licht is under fire and would seemingly have less job security than any other point in his Bucs tenure.

So, there’s plenty at stake in this game, which makes some of these records and milestones feel a little more trivial. Yet this is a feature I’ve been happy and proud to write every week for nine seasons now, so we’re not stopping now. Like we do every week here on PewterReport.com, we’re here to dive into those records and milestones that some key Bucs are chasing in this next game.

Last week, Cade Otton moved to No. 3 in receptions by a Bucs tight end all-time, Josiah Trotter passed Antoine Winfield Jr. for the most tackles by a Buc through three career games since at least 2000, Chris Godwin Jr. tied Donovan Smith for the 18th-most games played in franchise history and Jalon Daniels set a new Bucs record for the most rushing yards in a game by a rookie quarterback, passing Parnell Dickinson (Week 2 of the franchise’s 1976 inaugural season).

Now, let’s see where things stand heading into Week 5.

Bucs Record Watch: Week 5 at Cowboys

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Chris Godwin Jr.

Godwin needs 143 yards from scrimmage to eclipse 8,000 for his career. He would join Mike Evans (13,062) and James Wilder (9,449) as the only Bucs ever to reach that milestone with the team.

Godwin also remains four touchdowns away from passing Wilder (46) for the third-most touchdowns from scrimmage in franchise history, plus he is still nine points away from moving ahead of Wilder (276) for the 10th-most in team history.

Thursday night will be Godwin’s 125th game with the Bucs, moving him ahead of Donovan Smith (124) for the 18th-most in franchise history and tying him with Steve Wilson for the 17th-most.

Bucky Irving

Irving is 49 rushing yards away from 2,000 in his career. If he gets there against the Cowboys, he’ll become the 13th Buccaneer to reach that milestone with the team. Plus, doing so in his 32nd career game would tie him with Warrick Dunn for the fourth-fewest games to reach 2,000 rushing yards in franchise history. He would then only trail Errict Rhett and Cadillac Williams (29) and Doug Martin (25).

Irving is also 10 receptions away from 100 for his career.

Cade Otton

Otton needs one receiving touchdown to pass Calvin Magee and Alex Smith (11) for the seventh-most by a tight end in Bucs history and pull into a tie for the sixth-most.

Bucs NT Vita Vea – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Vita Vea

Vea remains 4.5 sacks away from passing David Logan (39.0) for the seventh-most in franchise history.

Thursday will be Vea’s 117th game with Tampa Bay, leaving him one behind Randy Grimes (118) for the 25th-nost in team history.

Anthony Nelson

Nelson is set to play his 112th game for the Bucs on Thursday night, tying him with Donald Penn for the 31st-most in franchise history.

Josiah Trotter

Trotter is four tackles away from passing Lavonte David (33 in 2012) for the second-most by a Buc through four career games (since at least 2000) and seven away from passing Kendell Beckwith (36 in 2017) for the most.

With 11 tackles, Trotter can pass Preston Brown (40 in 2014) for the fifth-most of anyone through four career games since at least 2000. He needs 13 to pass Anthony Hill Jr. (42 in 2026) for the fourth-most and 14 to pass Fred Warner (43 in 2018) for the third-most.

Zyon McCollum

McCollum remains one pass defensed away from passing Simeon Rice (37) for sole possession of the 12th-most in Bucs history. That would also tie him with Antoine Winfield Jr. (38) for the 11th-most.

Chase McLaughlin

With 15 more field goals, McLaughlin will pass Connor Barth (114) for the third-most in team history.

McLaughlin is seven points away from passing Mike Alstott (432) for the fifth-most in franchise history.

With one more field goal from 50+ yards out, McLaughlin will pass Graham Gano (46) for the 10th-most field goals of 50+ yards in NFL history. He needs four more to pass Greg Zuerlein (49) for the ninth-most all-time.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Todd Bowles

In the same stadium where he won his first game as the head coach of the Bucs back in 2022, Bowles will be looking for his 37th win in charge. That would tie him with his predecessor, Bruce Arians (36), for the most by a head coach (regular season + playoffs) in franchise history.

Jason Licht

Let’s try this again. Licht is still just one win away from his 100th as the Bucs’ general manager (regular season + playoffs). He’s looking to become the first general manager in team history to hit that milestone.