First Quarter:
Winless, with no starting quarterback. That was Tampa Bay’s situation as they took field for the opening series. Two runs, a sack, and a punt. Blessed by a third down drop, the Buccaneers’ defense got off the field, still the empty scoreboard. Tampa’s second drive was a slightly more productive rendezvous with a similar result— No points, Packer’s ball. Jalon Daniels’ first career completion would come on the game’s second drive but so would his second career interception. On a pass intended for Emeka
Egbuka, Daniels instead found Evan Williams. Carrying their drive till the first quarter’s end, Green Bay began heating up and stacking positive plays.
Second Quarter:
At the start of the game’s second 15 minutes, Green Bay had the ball deep in Tampa territory. After a dropped touchdown pass, a pass interference on Jacob Parrish placed the ball at the one yard line— A sequence that Tampa’s defense managed to stretch out to a fourth and goal. That fourth down would be where Buccaneers’ fans would want to look away. Jordan love dropped back against a heavy blitz and found a very open Matthew Golden for game’s first points. 7-0, Packers.
Two drives of ineffective offensive football later (Featuring a Cade Otton drop, something that feels like tradition by this point and startling Zyon McCollum praise when Jonathan Vilma mentioned that he regarded him as one of the league’s best corners)
The Buccaneers’ next possession would officially end the missing persons case involving Sean Tucker. Tucker, a remarkable no-show throughout the first three games of the season finally saw his first opportunity to touch the ball. Those opportunities were multiple and as has been the speculation of many, led to good things. Tucker ran hard, pushing his way for a conversion on fourth and short which he used to set himself for a touchdown— His first score of the season and Tampa’s first of the day. 7-7, evened up.
With three minutes remaining in the first half, it seemed Zac Robinson remembered that the strength of Tampa Bay’s offense was projected to be its depth at receiver. Jalon Daniels was spotted actually targeting his top two receivers. A few catches by Godwin, and pass interference drawn by Emeka Egbuka and Tampa Bay was threatening points before the half. Unfortunately, that threat would turn out be empty. Jalon Daniels tossed his second interception of the game and set the Packers up for lead-taking 58 yard field goal before the half. Matching most of this season for the Bucs, Todd Bowles iced Trey Smack which took his miss off the board and gave him another swing, which Smack smacked through. 10-7, Packers.
Third Quarter:
Green Bay took the opening drive of the second half right down the field 80 yards and wide open touchdown— What should have been Tucker Craft’s second of the day. A drive that just ran the football right at Todd Bowles’ ego stomped through tackles attempts and subsequent missed tackles all the way to the end zone. 17-7, Green Bay.
The Buccaneers’ offense would not boast that level of efficiency with their halftime adjustments— Run, run, third down sack. The script of starting drives with Bucky Irving running the football up the middle is reaching near Adam Gase New York Jets’ levels of play calling (ask former Buccaneer Le’Veon Bell). Tampa would punt, Green Bay would match and the final six minutes of the third quarter would begin with Jalon Daniels finding Chris Godwin for a first down and his third catch of the game. Moving, inside of the Packers’ 15-yard line, the Buccaneers’ offense ran the ball into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
Jalon Daniels started the fourth quarter by placing an exclamation point on the Tampa Bay’s best drive of the day, one of their best of the season— That exclamation point being his first career touchdown— The recipient Kenny Gainwell, snatching his first score in red and pewter.
Green Bay’s ensuing drive was not one for Todd Bowles’ trophy case. Jordan love, with a healthy variety of passes scooted his offense right down the field. Aided by a questionable Alex Anzalone penalty, the benefit of bounce out of bounds on a forced fumble, and some questionable
The Buccaneers would get the ball back, but that possession would unfortunately start with them backed up pretty significantly inside of their own five yard line. Although Daniels would find Egbuka for a first down, the team would still ultimately wind up nearly saftied when the group’s next third down snap hit Graham Barton in the rear and never made it off the ground. Following Daniels’ recovery of the on- hop dribbler, the Bucs had to punt from their own end zone. That punt would lead to phenomenal starting field position for the Packers still up three.
Green Bay’s fantastic field position would lead to a fantastic Buccaneers play Jacob Parrish. Parrish, who has shown consistent scrappiness thus far in 2026, left his zone to jump a route down the middle of the field and give Tampa Bay the ball back, marking consecutive drives where the Bucs’ defense forced a turnover in the red zone to give the Buccaneers a chance to steal a late win.
Tampa, with the ball back, just under four minutes, in the Jalon Daniels’ first start, would have a moment— A chance at glory. All preseason it was Daniels’ ability to bring the team from behind that was so wow-ing for fans and also a heavy factor in the organization eventually deciding he deserved to make the team. Daniels, however, would not be able to pull off a similar feat Sunday. The game would, as it often does, come down to a Todd Bowles decision. Foregoing a 65-yard field goal to tie, Bowles chose to leave his undrafted rookie free agent quarterback on the field for a fourth down and long attempt. That fourth down conversion attempt would feature what far too many plays have for the 2026 Buccaneers, an unblocked blitzer charging at their quarterback— Incomplete pass, turnover on downs, game over, 0-4.
