The Buccaneers are keeping Baker Mayfield’s status in the background for now and, at least at this moment, the plan points to Jalon Daniels again when Tampa Bay faces the Steelers on Oct. 18.
Head coach Todd Bowles said Friday that the team is still waiting to see how Mayfield looks and how well he can grip the football after the stitches in his thumb were removed, but the current expectation is clear.
"Right now, we plan on starting Jalon Daniels against the Steelers," Bowles said.
That comes after Tampa Bay finally picked up its first win of the season Thursday night, a 24-16 victory over the Cowboys that moved the Buccaneers to 1-4. The offense leaned on the run, the defense came through in a big way, and Daniels handled the job at quarterback by taking care of the ball and running the operation efficiently.
Daniels has now gone 1-1 as a starter in Tampa Bay. In two starts and an appearance at the end of one game, he has thrown for 337 yards on 55 attempts with two touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also been a real factor on the ground, picking up 87 yards on 16 carries.
Mayfield, though, is still very much in the conversation. Per NFL insider James Palmer, he has been pushing to play, and Bowles may soon have to decide whether to ease him back in or stay with Daniels after the team’s first win of the year. Palmer reported:
Coach Baker Mayfield could return to player Baker Mayfield next week against the Steelers. I'm told Mayfield is pushing to play but it's 10 days out and it's too early for the Bucs to know medically if he can go. The stitches were taken out Monday and it's a matter of his thumb…
Before the injury, Mayfield had started three games for Tampa Bay, throwing for 615 yards on 96 attempts with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
With extra time before the Steelers game, the Buccaneers have room to keep evaluating Mayfield while also building around Daniels, who is currently set for what would be his third NFL start.
In Other News...
Todd Bowles Had A Sideline Scare During Bucs' First Win
The Buccaneers first win of the season came with a brief sideline scare for Todd Bowles, who was caught up in the kind of post-play celebration that can get chaotic in a hurry. Late in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys, Tampa Bay was erupting after an interception and a run by Buccaneers players when Bowles took a shot in the stomach from a helmet, turning a moment of relief into a few tense seconds on the sideline.
Bowles was seen grimacing and dropping to one knee before being reported as okay shortly after, which allowed the focus to shift back to a much-needed victory. The incident was part of the emotional release that followed the play, though reports did not identify which player made the celebratory contact. [Read more 🡒]
Dak Prescott's Postgame Frustration Has Cowboys Fans Debating This Team
The Cowboys left Thursday night with another loss, and the postgame mood around AT&T Stadium turned testy almost immediately. Dallas dropped to 2-3 after falling to the Buccaneers, and what should have been a straightforward reaction to a rough defeat quickly shifted when Dak Prescott took issue with a stadium workers comment about the result being embarrassing.
Prescott made clear he can live with blunt criticism, but he was bothered by the way the exchange unfolded after he noticed the comment. For Tampa Bay, it was the kind of road win that does more than add to the standings, because it also leaves the opponent sorting through frustration, accountability and a little bit of drama long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Sideline Scare Added Tension To A Much-Needed Bucs Win
The Buccaneers finally got the result they needed, beating the Cowboys 24-16 for their first win of the season behind rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels. It was a much-needed lift for a team that had spent the first month looking for something to stabilize around, and getting to 1-4 at least gives Tampa Bay a little breathing room heading into next weeks matchup with the Steelers.
The win came with a brief scare on the sideline when Todd Bowles was seen down on one knee and appeared to be dealing with discomfort before getting back up and saying he would be okay. For a team already trying to find its footing, even a moment like that can add tension to an afternoon that should have been about relief, and it only underscored how much the Bucs needed a cleaner, calmer path to their first victory. [Read more 🡒]