Coach Greg Schiano and the Bucs were much better on defense in Week 3, but the offense struggled in a loss at Dallas. (Getty Images)

In its Week 2 loss to the Giants, Tampa Bay's defense faltered, yielding 41 points and allowing Eli Manning to throw for 510 yards. The defense fared better in Week 3, but it still wasn't enough in what was ultimately a 16-10 loss to Dallas.

Offense: D

Any way you dissect the Bucs' offensive performance, it was subpar. The team managed only 166 total yards. Josh Freeman completed only 10 of 28 passes and threw an interception. That pick set up Dallas with a short field, leading to the Cowboys' only touchdown. When Dallas fumbled away the ball at its own 31-yard line late in the third quarter, the offense went in reverse, losing 10 yards to move out of field-goal range. 

Defense: A+

It would be tough to do any better than Tampa Bay did defensively on Sunday. Only one of the Cowboys' four scoring "drives" covered more than 23 yards. The other three: 23 yards, 11 yards and two yards -- all short fields that resulted from problems on offense and special teams. The defense forced three turnovers, intercepting Tony Romo once and recovering a pair of fumbles. The offense just didn't take advantage.

Special teams: C-

New punt returner Jordan Shipley muffed a punt in the second quarter that set up a Dallas field goal, and the punt coverage team allowed Dez Bryant to break loose for a 44-yard return to set up the Cowboys' final field goal that made it a two-possession game. Placekicker Connor Barth continued to be rock-solid, making his only field goal try, and Michael Koenen did a respectable job on punts and kickoffs. 

Coaching: C+

Credit the coaches for doing what was necessary to address the team's miserable pass defense against the Giants, but conservative offensive play-calling may have kept them from pulling out a road win on Sunday. The play-calling occasionally bordered on the bizarre, as the Bucs ran the ball on two of their first three plays of a drive that began with 2:43 to play and the team down by nine points. And Greg Schiano again drew attention for having the team attack the Cowboys' snaps in the victory formation -- and calling timeouts to make Dallas kneel down three times at the game's end.

For more from Tampa Bay Bucs blogger Patrick Southern, follow @CBSBucs on Twitter.