The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
entered Thursday Night Football desperately searching for their first win of the season, and few expected undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels to be the one to deliver it. But in just his second career start, Daniels showed the type of poise and command that Tampa Bay's offense had been missing, helping lead the Buccaneers to a stunning 24-16 upset over the Dallas Cowboys.It started with one of the most impressive opening possessions Tampa Bay has put together in years. After Dallas marched down the field for an early touchdown, Daniels responded by orchestrating a 15-play, 73-yard scoring drive that drained 10 minutes and 58 seconds off the clock. The rookie completed all eight of his passes for 49 yards, converted
critical third downs and capped the possession with a five-yard touchdown pass to Bucky Irving.
The drive was the second-longest scoring possession in franchise history, falling just one second short of the record set in 1994. More importantly, it showed an offense finally capable of sustaining drives rather than relying on occasional explosive plays. One of the more encouraging developments was that Tampa Bay's presnap motion and offensive misdirection finally appeared to create problems for an opposing defense. Zac Robinson's offense has faced criticism for its inability to consistently manufacture advantages, but against Dallas, the pre-snap movement helped create hesitation and gave Daniels opportunities to operate within the offense.
Rather than looking overwhelmed by the moment, Daniels appeared comfortable identifying his options, using his legs when necessary and keeping the offense on schedule. His mobility added another element Dallas had to account for, particularly when plays broke down. Daniels finished the night completing 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown and a 110.2 passer rating. He also contributed 23 rushing yards while helping Tampa Bay produce a season-high 419 yards of total offense. The rookie wasn't asked to carry the entire offense. Irving's 165 rushing yards played a massive role in the victory, while the defense forced three turnovers. However, Daniels deserves credit for managing the game, protecting the football, and giving his playmakers opportunities to succeed. With Baker Mayfield sidelined by a thumb injury, Daniels entered the starting lineup facing plenty of questions about whether an undrafted rookie could keep Tampa Bay competitive. Now, the Buccaneers might have found something worth developing beyond Mayfield's return.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Jalon Daniels leads Bucs to big upset in Dallas
