The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw their four-game winning streak snapped in Dallas on Sunday night in a painful 26-24 decision, but they had the ball with time left to score the go-ahead points. Unfortunately, cornerback DaRon Bland made a great individual play to strip the ball out of Rachaad White’s hand to end that last Buccaneer threat.

There are no moral victories in the NFL and that defeat actually cost the Bucs the top spot in the NFC South, at least for now, but quarterback Baker Mayfield did find one thing about it encouraging.

“The positive from the game is that we’re giving ourselves a chance and an opportunity late in the games,” he said. “[If] the team didn’t have any fight, like I mentioned postgame… We’re always going to keep fighting, keep swinging and see what happens.”

The Bucs trailed 10-0 in the first quarter and never took the lead, but they stayed within striking distance thanks in part to three young pass-catchers who have seen their roles expand in recent weeks. Rookie Jalen McMillan has 14 catches for 191 yards and four touchdowns in the last three games and against the Cowboys played the most snaps of any of the Bucs’ receivers. First-year wideout Ryan Miller, who earlier in the season got in some significant playing time with both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin out, came on to play 33 snaps in Dallas after an injury to Sterling Shepard. And second-year tight end Payne Durham took over the number-one tight end role with Cade Otton sidelined by a knee injury and played a career-high 67 snaps. All three made important contributions to an offense that rolled up 410 yards on Sunday night.

McMillan cut the Cowboys lead to 20-14 in the second quarter when he hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass, part of a five-catch, 57-yard outing. McMillan has grown comfortable in the second-receiver role and clearly has strengthened his connection with Mayfield.