Buccaneers to Start Jalon Daniels After Baker Mayfield Thumb Injury; Packers Visit Tampa
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will turn to rookie Jalon Daniels as their starting quarterback Sunday after Baker Mayfield sustained a dislocated right thumb and is expected to miss at least three games, the team announced ahead of the Week 4 meeting with the Green Bay Packers. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 4, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, and the game will be broadcast locally on FOX. The Buccaneers enter the matchup 0-3 and will seek their first win of the season.
Daniels, who was signed after the draft following a productive career at Kansas, is poised to become the first undrafted rookie quarterback to start in franchise history. Coaches praised his arm strength, mobility and poise in offseason work, training camp and the preseason, and he moved ahead of Jake Browning on the depth chart. Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will adjust the game plan for a new signal-caller, and Daniels will be tasked with leading an offense that has not yet found a consistent identity through three games.
The Buccaneers enter Week 4 with a defense that is stout by yardage but has been hurt by a handful of costly plays. Tampa Bay ranks sixth in yards allowed at 282.7 per game but sits 23rd in points allowed. The unit is second against the run (76.0 rushing yards allowed per game) and 12th against the pass (206.7 yards), yet late-game and special-teams breakdowns have produced game-changing scores, including an 86-yard punt return and a 41-yard touchdown reception in last Sundays loss to Minnesota.
Green Bay arrives in Tampa at 1-2 after a 35-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, a game in which the Packers gave up 498 total yards and 242 rushing yards while Bijan Robinson had 213 yards from scrimmage. The Packers have been forced to cope with offensive-line injuries and the absence of Josh Jacobs, but quarterback Jordan Love has thrown for 844 yards and six touchdowns through three games. Receivers Christian Watson (284 yards) and Matthew Golden (253 yards) have been primary targets and have combined with Love to produce big plays downfield. Green Bay’s defense has surrendered the third-most points in the league.
Love has faced pressure on 42.1% of his dropbacks this season 1 the highest rate he has faced through the first three weeks of any of his seasons. When pressured through three games, he completed just 18 passes for 47 yards and threw two interceptions. Love has elite arm talent and often looks for downfield shots to Christian Watson, Golden or tight end Tucker Kraft. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. could factor significantly, both in deep coverage and as a timed blitzer to disrupt Love’s rhythm.
On the offensive front, Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs will draw attention from Green Bay edge rusher Lukas Van Ness, who has 2.5 sacks and seven quick pressures through three games and has lined up frequently on the right edge. Van Ness has played 64.2% of his snaps on the right edge of Green Bay’s front this season, so a majority of his rushes should come against Wirfs. According to Next Gen Stats, Wirfs has allowed pressures that have taken 3.19 seconds to develop and has been isolated one-on-one on 84.4% of his pass-block snaps. The Buccaneers trust Wirfs to handle his matchups with a mix of power and nimble footwork.
Secondary matchups to monitor include Packers slot-to-outside threat Matthew Golden against Buccaneers cornerback Jacob Parrish. Golden has 253 receiving yards through three games and averages 16.9 yards per catch, making him a big-play threat. Parrish returned last week from a back issue and has settled into the outside corner role opposite Zyon McCollum. Tight end Cade Otton figures to be a steady target for Daniels; Otton played all but four offensive snaps last week and had three catches for 56 yards, including a 37-yard seam play.
Run game dynamics also figure prominently for both clubs. Tampa Bay ranks 11th in the league in yards per carry, and tailback Bucky Irving is averaging better than 4.5 yards per attempt, figures that would help a rookie quarterback if the Buccaneers can establish the ground game. Green Bay’s rushing attack has been the least productive in the league through three weeks at 48.7 yards per game and 3.04 yards per carry, and the Packers have surrendered 138.7 rushing yards per game, ranking 28th against the run. Conversely, the Buccaneers defend the run at a high level, allowing 76.0 yards per game and 3.12 yards per carry.
The Buccaneers will highlight a Moffitt Stories of Courage guest this week. Nick Gruttadauria, a lifelong Tampa native and Buccaneers fan, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s lymphoma and underwent chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant and subsequent maintenance treatment. He remains in remission and will be recognized by the team during the home game weekend. The club said it will welcome him as a Moffitt Stories of Courage guest.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Starting Jalon Daniels is the most consequential development for Tampa Bay this week. The Packers present a blend of downfield passing threats and edge pressure that will test a rookie quarterback and the Buccaneers’ offensive line. Tampa Bay’s defense has shown it can limit yardage but must eliminate isolated, game-changing plays and special-teams breakdowns that have decided tight contests. If the Buccaneers can attack Green Bay’s vulnerable run defense to control the clock and reduce third-and-long situations, they can give Daniels cleaner pockets and a better chance to manage his first NFL starts while relying on trusted targets like Cade Otton and a stout defensive front led by Antoine Winfield Jr.