Former Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels got his first NFL start Sunday, and the opening chapter came with plenty of both promise and pain. Tampa Bay fell 17-14 to the Green Bay Packers, but Daniels showed enough to make it clear why the Buccaneers handed him the job after Baker Mayfield went down with a thumb injury.
Daniels became the first undrafted rookie to start at quarterback for Tampa Bay, and the stat line told the full story of a debut that had rough edges but real flashes. He finished 19 of 27 for 148 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, and he added 55 rushing yards on eight carries.
The first quarter was rocky. Green Bay safety Evan Williams jumped a pass intended for Emeka Egbuka for Daniels’ first interception, and another pick later in the game gave the Packers more chances to cash in on Tampa Bay mistakes. Those turnovers helped Green Bay turn Buccaneers miscues into 10 points.
Still, Daniels kept finding ways to move the offense with his legs. His longest run of the day went for 21 yards on a third-and-two, and that mobility became one of the clearest positives from his first start.
As the game wore on, Daniels settled in. Tampa Bay went into the fourth quarter down 17-7, then mounted a push that gave the Buccaneers a real shot late. Daniels led an 84-yard, 12-play touchdown drive that featured that 21-yard scramble and ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Gainwell, trimming the Packers’ lead to 17-14.
Tampa Bay still had a chance to tie or take the lead, but the final drive never got there. Daniels was sacked with less than two minutes left, and the Buccaneers’ last possession ended without points.
There was no hiding the learning curve. Daniels was taken down three times, and the interceptions were costly against a Green Bay team that made Tampa Bay pay for its mistakes. Even so, completing 19 of 27 passes showed a level of poise and accuracy that held up under the pressure of his first NFL start.
Afterward, Daniels said the result was not what he wanted but that he could take something from the experience. Kansas fans now get a new reason to keep tabs on him as Tampa Bay turns quickly to Thursday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.
In Other News...
Kansas May Have Found A New Identity At The Perfect Time
Kansas spent Saturday looking like a team that might finally know who it wants to be. The offense rolled to a program-record 706 yards in the 55-0 win over Middle Tennessee State, but the more revealing part of the afternoon was how firmly the defense controlled the game while the passing attack and ground game kept the other sideline buried. Through the first four games, first-year coordinator D.K. McDonalds unit has been the steadier side of the ball, even as the offense has gone through its own uneven stretches.
Middle Tennessee never found a rhythm, forced into repeated punts and kept from building any real momentum once the game settled in. For Kansas, that kind of balance matters because it suggests the Jayhawks may have found a version of themselves that can travel better than a shootout script, especially when the offense is clicking and the defense is no longer just trying to hold on. The question now is whether this was a one-week statement or the start of something more durable. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Just Delivered The Kind Of Win Fans Needed
Kansas finally got the kind of comfortable Saturday it has been chasing, rolling past Middle Tennessee 55-0 in a performance that touched every part of the roster. Dylan Edwards gave the offense an early jolt with 137 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Isaiah Marshall helped keep the tempo moving with production on the ground and through the air. It was the sort of one-sided win that lets a team breathe a little, build some confidence and see its playmakers make a difference.
The bigger picture was just as encouraging on the other side of the ball, where Kansas turned in a suffocating defensive effort and allowed only seven first downs. Middle Tennessee never found much rhythm, managing just 3.2 yards per play, and the Jayhawks left no doubt by finishing the day with a shutout. For a program that has been looking for cleaner, more complete outings, this was the kind of response fans had been waiting to see. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Self Pushes Back As Kansas Faces A Scheduling Squeeze
Kansas footballs trip to London for the Union Jack Classic brought a different kind of reward than a win, with the Jayhawks leaving Arizona State behind in the box score but coming home with $2.7 million and a dose of international exposure. The football program got a rare showcase overseas, and it was enough to stir the usual offseason conversation about what kinds of opportunities are worth the disruption when a school is trying to compete across multiple sports.
Bill Self, though, made clear he does not see that same model fitting his basketball program. With the season calendar already tight, the Kansas coach said international games during the winter would create too many scheduling headaches, even as he talked through the Jayhawks upcoming nonconference and Big 12 slate. He also weighed in on the leagues shifting basketball schedule, a reminder that Kansas is navigating not just opponents, but the format of the season itself. [Read more 🡒]