westhawaiitoday
When the Green Bay Packers visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon, both teams will be seeking to overcome significant early-season adversity. Neither veteran head coach is backing down from the challenge of turning their respective seasons around.
Tampa Bay (0-3) is off to its first winless start through three weeks since 2014, a season in which the franchise matched a team record with 14 losses. Despite an average margin of defeat under six points per game, the Buccaneers remain the NFC's only winless team. "The team is frustrated with the 0-3 record, but all we can do is get better," head coach Todd Bowles said. "Your character is more important than your reputation right now. Our character speaks volumes. We're going to stick together as a team and get through this. We've been through tough times before and this is not going to break us."
The situation worsened last week when recently extended quarterback Baker Mayfield suffered a dislocated thumb in a 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Mayfield will miss his first game since joining Tampa Bay in 2023, and undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels will be tasked with helping the Buccaneers avoid an 0-4 start.
Daniels, a 23-year-old out of Kansas, signed with the team two weeks after April's NFL Draft and beat out Jake Browning for the backup job. With Mayfield sidelined for at least three weeks, Daniels will attempt to lead the offense in a manner similar to the two-time Pro Bowler. "I've continued to say it since preseason, whenever your number is called, you've got to be ready to go out there and perform," said Daniels, who threw an interception on the final play against Minnesota. "Obviously we're not in a position that we want to be in, but it's a very long season."
During his college career at Kansas, Daniels accounted for 90 total touchdowns (67 passing, 23 rushing) in 49 games. Easton Stick will serve as Tampa Bay's backup quarterback after being elevated from the practice squad on Saturday. Stick has appeared in six NFL games, including four starts, for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Green Bay (1-2) has had 10 days to reflect on a disastrous 21-point home loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Packers' 146 total rushing yards are their fewest through three games since 1933, and their defense is allowing 30.3 points per game, tied for third most in the NFL. For head coach Matt LaFleur, fixing the issues comes down to a simple message. "More or less, you've got to keep fighting," LaFleur said. "One thing you love about this league is the attention it gets. There's a lot of interest in the National Football League and that's a blessing, but you've got to drown out the outside noise and focus internally. At the end of the day, all that matters is what our guys believe in the locker room and how we're working together to try and find solutions for our problems."
Fourth-year starter Jordan Love has completed just 52.4% of his passes while throwing six touchdowns and two interceptions through three outings. As for Love's counterpart on Sunday, Green Bay won't be taking the rookie lightly. "We've seen a little bit of Daniels in the preseason and he's a guy that we saw through the scouting process coming out of the draft," LaFleur said. "Very talented player. Can certainly beat you with his legs, but he's also got a big arm. So there will be a little bit of an adjustment there, for sure."
Key Analysis
Injury reports further complicate matters for both squads. Along with Mayfield, the Buccaneers ruled out rookie linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. (groin, shoulder), tight end Ko Kieft (elbow) and cornerback Benjamin Morrison (quadricep). Defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches (ankle, foot), linebacker SirVocea Dennis (calf, personal) and cornerback Jacob Parrish (personal) are considered questionable. No. 1 receiver Chris Godwin was cleared after missing Wednesday's practice with an ankle ailment.
For Green Bay, offensive linemen Aaron Banks (knee, toe) and Jacob Monk (quadricep) were ruled out along with defensive tackles Warren Brinson (calf, groin) and Anthony Campbell (ankle). The Packers will hope to have reserve interior lineman Jager Burton (groin) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (shoulder, concussion), who are questionable.
Originally reported by westhawaiitoday.