Biggest Takeaways from Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 10 Win

Having alternated wins and losses since Week 4, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued the trend in Week 10, beating the Dallas Cowboys 10-6 at home, thanks to an inspired defensive effort and a lucky break when they needed it most.

The Bucs improved their record to 4-5 on the season with Sunday's win, putting them just a game below .500 and, theoretically, just two games back from a wild-card spot.

After having the offense carry them over the last few weeks, the Tampa Bay defense made an encouraging statement against Dallas, holding their playmakers in check and making big plays in key moments. On offense, the Bucs overcame their mistakes and took advantage of opportunities to snatch the late victory.

Here's what we learned about the Pewter Pirates in Week 10.

Lovie Smith Showing Willingness to Change

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Bucs head coach Lovie Smith has taken plenty of grief this season for his coaching decisions and with good reason. From clock management to personnel decisions to the defense's ineptitude, it's been a rough year for Smith in his second season at the helm in Tampa Bay.

But we're slowly starting to see some positive changes.

It started with benching veteran starters at cornerback who simply weren't getting the job done. The strong play of their replacements—specifically former Dallas Cowboy Sterling Moore—was a huge factor in Tampa Bay's win on Sunday.

Smith has also been criticized for not trying to score points on possessions right before halftime. When given the chance to do that on Sunday, he changed course and gave it a shot. It didn't happen, but his willingness to trust his young quarterback was a refreshing change.

Smith also dialed up more blitzes on third downs than Bucs fans are used to seeing, and it led to two key sacks from linebackers Kwon Alexander and Lavonte David.

Lovie has earned a lot of criticism so far this season, but he also deserves credit for some of the positive changes we've seen over the past couple of weeks.

Winston Struggles, but Still Shows "It" Factor

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After going four straight games without a turnover, rookie quarterback Jameis Winston came back down to earth a bit on Sunday, throwing a pair of interceptions and struggling with accuracy throughout the afternoon.

But despite the rocky overall performance, Winston proved once again his best traits: a short memory, leadership and the ability to make big plays with the game on the line.

Winston looked like the goat of the game when he fumbled just before crossing the goal line while trying to leap for the go-ahead score. But when given another chance thanks to a defensive holding penalty, Winston took a naked bootleg and walked into the end zone for the game's only touchdown.

After the game, Winston smiled while repeatedly claiming he had "no recollection" of the fumble, drawing chuckles from the media.

Winston also showed off his fiery leadership in the locker room with a passionate speech.

It wasn't the prettiest game for the No. 1 overall pick, but he got the job done and continues to prove he's the right man to lead the Bucs out of the NFL cellar.

The Defense Is Capable of Winning Games, Too

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After weeks of getting torched in the secondary, providing little consistency when rushing the passer and failing to close out games, Tampa Bay's defense proved on Sunday it's capable of carrying the day when the offense isn't playing well.

The Bucs held the Cowboys to just 216 total yards, including just 32 yards rushing to Darren McFadden, who had averaged 111 yards on the ground over the previous three weeks. Dallas managed just 12 first downs, couldn't stretch the field with Dez Bryant and gave up three sacks.

Then, with the game on the line, the Bucs came up with the game-sealing takeaway, courtesy of a Bradley McDougald interception in the end zone.

The offense has been slowly improving every week, but it was extremely important for the defense to have a statement game like this.

Vincent Jackson, ASJ Can't Return Soon Enough

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Jameis Winston has played admirably so far in his rookie season, but it's starting to show that he's missing two of his top three weapons in the passing game.

Veteran receiver Vincent Jackson suffered a knee injury in Week 7 and has yet to return to game action, while a shoulder injury has kept tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins out since Week 2.

Taking into account Mike Evans' hamstring injury that kept him out of the regular season opener, Winston has had his top three targets all healthy and available at the same time for just two quarters so far this season.

The likes of Donteea Dye and Adam Humphries at receiver—both rookie undrafted free agents—and Brandon Myers and Cameron Brate at tight end have tried their best to fill in, but there's no denying the palpable absence of the starters.

It's still unclear if either Jackson or Seferian-Jenkins will be available this week, but Sunday's game was just further proof the Bucs' rookie quarterback needs them back as soon as possible.

Doug Martin Isn't Just Back to Rookie Self...He's Better

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Doug Martin topped 100 total yards again on Sunday, but it wasn't necessarily his numbers that were so impressive. It was how he got them.

Martin continues to churn out tons of yards after first contact, busting through tackles and turning minimal gains into decent chunks to set up manageable distances on second and third down. His slimmed-down frame has made him quicker and more explosive, but he's also proving to be a tougher runner between the tackles than he was in his Pro Bowl season back in 2012.

Martin is in a contract year, and week in and week out, he seems hellbent on making his case for a significant payday, whether it's in Tampa Bay or elsewhere.