Tampa Bay's 2026 nightmare endures as the Buccaneers fall to 0-4 after a 17-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers
. While the game was never out of reach, the Bucs never seemed to have control of it. In his NFL debut, undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels was both impressive and a major reason for the Bucs' defeat. His struggles were understandable, but the team was not prepared to make life easier on the neophyte quarterback.Here are the five takeaways from the Bucs' Week 4 loss to the Packers.
1. Todd Bowles and his staff have no answers
At 0-4, the Bucs have virtually no shot at making the playoffs and are 2-11 since Week 10 last season. The blame lands squarely on head coach Todd Bowles. Week to week, the Bucs appear underprepared on both sides of the ball and are reliant on individual efforts
for make-or-break plays.
The loss to Green Bay was emblematic of the issues Bowles and his staff have thus far failed to address. The defense made life easy for Packers QB Jordan Love for most of the game, as he completed 73% of his passes, with several incompletions coming from wide receiver drops. The defense's biggest impact came from individual efforts by safety Tykee Smith, who forced a fumble by Kaleb Johnson, and cornerback Jacob Parrish, who had to leave his assigned coverage zone to pick off Love.
Offensively, the game plan was clearly simplified for Daniels, but not in a way that actually made his life easier. Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's play-calling was predictable and did not create separation for the receiver or easy throws for Daniels to keep the ball moving. There was no apparent plan to adjust pass protection, which tanked the Bucs' potential game-winning drive as Green Bay blitzed Daniels into a turnover on downs.
With their playoff chances all but extinguished, Tampa Bay is on a direct course for a complete overhaul of its coaching staff this offseason. Bowles and his staff show no indication that they can course-correct the Bucs out of this death spiral.
2. Jalon Daniels is why the Bucs lost but also why they could win in the future
There is no question Jalon Daniels was a major reason why the Bucs lost to the Packers. Green Bay scored 10 points off his two interceptions, both of which were entirely on Daniels. However, outside of those picks, Daniels looked the part of an NFL quarterback. He was decisive and kept plays alive with his legs. His arm talent is obvious, capable of rocket-powered throws and angling passes past incoming defenders.
Notably, the jittery, frenetic energy that plagued Baker Mayfield in the first three games of the season was absent. That is not to say Daniels is remotely challenging Mayfield for his job, but he has the potential to do what Mayfield has not this season: win a game.
3. The lack of pass rush is killing Tampa Bay's defense
What looked like a major strength of the Bucs' roster in the preseason has proven to be a liability. Tampa Bay's pass rush was the defense's biggest problem against Green Bay and appears to be its biggest issue this season. Against the Packers, the Bucs recorded no sacks and just three pressures per PFF. Bowles opted not to blitz as often, seemingly to limit Jordan Love and his wide receivers' big-play ability. The problem is, the four-man rush wasn't even close to affecting Love, even after his offensive line allowed 29 pressures the week prior. Virtually every starter on the line is posting career lows across every possible statistic, indicating that this problem goes beyond just poor individual play.
4. If the Bucs are going to be this bad on offense, they need a new punter
Good football teams do not generally need to worry about their punter. The Bucs are not a good football team, and Riley Dixon is causing them problems. Dixon averaged just 40 yards per punt against the Packers, with his longest coming at 43 yards. Since he signed with Tampa Bay last year, Dixon has been one of the NFL's worst punters, averaging just 45.1 yards per punt. With the offense struggling to move the ball and the defense struggling to keep it from moving, the Bucs cannot afford Dixon's mediocrity any longer.
5. Pass protection is an issue beyond just the offensive line
The Bucs' pass protection has been an unexpected issue for most of this year. While the offensive line has its issues, a lot of the problems, including many against the Packers, stem from Tampa Bay's running backs. Kenneth Gainwell in particular was poor in pass protection against Green Bay, surrendering one of Jalon Daniels' three sacks. Bucky Irving was a little better, but he is already carrying the lion's share of Tampa Bay's rush duties. The Bucs need to find a solution quickly if they hope to keep Daniels upright while Mayfield is on the mend.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 5 takeaways from Buccaneers vs. Packers
