Similarly to the Green Bay Packers, it has been a rough start to the season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense. It is difficult to pick out who is playing well or what is working for Tampa Bay, who will now be starting a backup quarterback on Sunday.
Facing an offense which ranks 30th in explosive play rate, Sunday represents an opportunity for Jonathan Gannon’s defense to get back on track following a chastening night against the Atlanta Falcons last week.
Here are three keys to the game for the Packers on defense:
Avoid backup quarterback chaos
On paper, facing a backup quarterback is an advantage, but it can also introduce an element of chaos which can swing one way or the other.
Jalon Daniels will get the start for Tampa Bay in Baker Mayfield’s absence, and based on the way
things were going for the Buccaneers early in the season, a change at quarterback may actually help them.
Tampa are 31st in expected points added (EPA) per pass and passing success rate coming into Sunday's game. That is not solely an assessment on Baker Mayfield’s play, but the fact they are only allowing pressure at the 11th-highest rate yet rank dead last in sack rate does not reflect well on him.
Daniels is a pretty mobile quarterback, and although his athleticism is being overstated to an extent, he may be harder to get on the ground.
He had 19 interceptions in his final two college seasons, which could help out a Packers defense that ranks 29th in turnover rate in 2026.
The biggest decision for Gannon to make this week is how aggressive he wants to be against Daniels.
It is a balancing act, as being too gung-ho could invite variance into the game which could go against them, but he will not want to let Daniels get too comfortable in his first NFL start either. Ultimately, whatever approach he chooses, his players need to make him right.
Tackle!
Tampa’s rushing attack led by Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell has been solid early in the season, as they rank 13th in EPA per rush. More importantly, they rank 11th in yards after contact per rush.
On the other side, Green Bay has allowed the third fewest yards before contact per rush, but the third most after contact. Most of that damage was done by Bijan Robinson last week, as the Packers ranked eighth in yards after contact per rush before his untouchable performance.
The Bucs’ running backs are not on Robinson’s level, but Gannon’s defense was also 28th in yards after the catch per reception last week. They cannot let short passes rupture into big gains and make life easy for Daniels.
Get off the grass
This kind of goes hand in hand with tackling, but the Packers defense must do a better job of finishing in key situations like on third down and in the red zone.
So far they are facing the sixth most plays per game, although the fact they are only 23rd in plays per drive shows that Green Bay’s offense has a lot to answer for, as they have been unable to possess the ball for long periods and give the defense some respite.
However, Gannon’s unit is also 10th in average time per drive faced, and they rank 29th in third down defense as well as 30th in the red zone.
Whether it is penalties extending drives or failing to keep opponents out of the end zone, the Packers need to execute better in big moments this week.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: 3 things on Packers defense vs. Buccaneers: Backup quarterback chaos
