The Buccaneers’ fightback in Green Bay never quite turned into a rescue act, and Tampa Bay left Sunday with the same ugly number attached to its record: 0-4.
What made the 17-14 loss sting was that the Bucs actually gave themselves a real shot late. After a rough first half from undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels, Tampa Bay’s defense kept turning the game back in the offense’s direction.
Two second-half takeaways created the kind of opening that can flip a road game. Daniels just couldn’t cash in at the end.
The first half belonged to the turnovers. Daniels threw two interceptions before halftime, but the Buccaneers still managed to hang around.
Green Bay struck first after Evan Williams picked off a pass intended for Emeka Egbuka on Daniels’ second drive, a play that was initially ruled incomplete before replay reversed it. The Packers then made the most of the short field, converting on three fourth downs before Jordan Love found Matthew Golden for a 2-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 12:54 left in the first half.
Tampa Bay answered with a drive of its own. Sean Tucker converted on 4th-and-1, Daniels moved the offense to the 2-yard line, and Tucker finished it off with a 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game 7-7 with 5:13 left before halftime.
But the last word of the second quarter went to Green Bay. After the Buccaneers forced a punt, Daniels was intercepted again, this time by linebacker Edgerrin Cooper on a pass intended for Kameron Johnson with 34 seconds left. Trey Smack then drilled a 58-yard field goal as the half ended, sending the Packers into the break up 10-7.
Green Bay stretched the margin to 17-7 to open the third quarter when Love hit Tucker Kraft on a 2-yard touchdown pass. From there, both offenses mostly stalled until Daniels finally sparked Tampa Bay again. After a Packers punt with 6:30 left in the third, he pushed the Buccaneers to the Green Bay 10-yard line and then threw his first career touchdown pass, a 10-yard strike to Kenneth Gainwell on third-and-7 with 14:49 left in the game.
Then the defense kept the door open. On the Packers’ next possession, they drove to the Tampa Bay 2-yard line, but Tykee Smith punched the ball loose from Kaleb Johnson on first-and-goal, and Zyon McCollum recovered it with 9:07 remaining.
The Bucs had momentum, but they couldn’t do enough with it. Daniels and the offense managed only one first down on the next series and punted with 5:08 left. Two plays later, Jacob Parrish made a diving interception of Love at the Tampa Bay 26 with 4:20 remaining, giving the Buccaneers one last chance.
That chance went nowhere. Daniels and the offense couldn’t get past midfield, and his incomplete pass on fourth-and-11 ended the comeback bid.
Daniels finished 19 of 27 for 148 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, while also adding 55 rushing yards. Tampa Bay’s loss marked its first 0-4 start since 2013, when the Buccaneers lost their first eight games.
Now the schedule turns fast. Tampa Bay heads to Dallas on Thursday night to face the Cowboys, who are also 2-2.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Suddenly Face A Bigger Baker Mayfield Problem Than Expected
Baker Mayfields thumb injury has turned into a much bigger issue for the Buccaneers than a short-term scare. The veteran quarterback suffered a dislocated thumb and is expected to miss multiple games, with his return hinging on how quickly he regains grip strength. For Tampa Bay, the timing is especially tricky because Mayfield had been in the middle of another season as the teams starter after appearing in three games so far.
The immediate answer is rookie Jalon Daniels, who has been named the backup and will start while Mayfield is out. It puts an abrupt spotlight on Tampa Bays quarterback depth and raises the stakes around how the offense functions without the player the Buccaneers signed to a multi-year deal. The bigger question now is not just who starts next, but how long the team has to live without Mayfield and what kind of shape he is in when he finally returns. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Fan Goes Viral For A Gameday Moment Bucs Fans Pounced On
A gameday photo from the Packers-Buccaneers matchup quickly took on a life of its own, with a Green Bay fan in a cheese-themed outfit drawing plenty of attention on social media. Buccaneers fans, already tuned into a rough start for their own team, jumped on the image and helped turn a random moment from the stands into one of the evenings louder online talking points.
It fit the mood around Tampa Bay, where the Bucs came in at 0-3 and were turning to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels at quarterback because of Baker Mayfields injury. Green Bay arrived at 1-2, but the game was about more than the records for Tampa Bay supporters, who had little patience to spare and plenty of time to notice, and react to, anything that stood out. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Just Became The Center Of Tampa Bay's Biggest Debate
The Buccaneers slow start has pushed Todd Bowles into the middle of a conversation nobody in Tampa Bay wanted to have this early. At 0-4, with a 3-12 record stretching back to last season, the losses are piling up fast enough to turn every miscue into a referendum on direction, execution and leadership. Bowles stepped to the podium after the latest setback and owned the mess, taking responsibility while insisting he still believes he can guide the team out of it.
Bowles has handled the public side of the slump the way a veteran coach usually does, but the frustration around the team is only growing because so many of the defeats have stayed within reach. Close games tend to sharpen the focus on the head coach, and if the Buccaneers keep coming up short in those spots, the accountability debate will only get louder. For now, Bowles is asking for patience, even as the results make that a harder sell by the week. [Read more 🡒]