Packers hold off Buccaneers 17-14 as Jalon Daniels' first NFL start falls short
The Green Bay Packers held on for a 17-14 win at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, surviving a late push from undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels in his first NFL start. The Buccaneers fall to 0-4 with Baker Mayfield sidelined by a thumb injury.
The Green Bay Packers held on for a 17-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, surviving a late rally from undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels in his first NFL start.
Daniels, deputising for Baker Mayfield, threw for 148 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. His second pick, by linebacker Edgerrin Cooper with 34 seconds left in the first half, set up a 58-yard Trey Smack field goal that gave Green Bay a 10-7 lead at the break.
Matthew Golden’s two-yard touchdown catch opened the scoring for the Packers, with Sean Tucker replying from two yards out for Tampa Bay. Tucker Kraft’s two-yard fade early in the third quarter — his first touchdown of the season — stretched the lead to 17-7, before Daniels found Kenny Gainwell for a 10-yard score to cut it to 17-14 early in the fourth.
Green Bay had chances to pull away but Kaleb Johnson fumbled inside the five-yard line in the fourth quarter, and the defence had to stand firm late. Cooper, who also sacked Daniels earlier, was later carted off with an Achilles injury and ruled out.
The loss drops the Buccaneers to 0-4 — the last remaining winless team in the NFC — with Mayfield expected to miss three to six weeks with a thumb injury. The Packers move to 2-2.
Sources
- Sports Illustrated — “Overreactions From Buccaneers’ Loss to the Packers”, 2026-10-04 — https://www.si.com/nfl/buccaneers/onsi/overreactions-from-buccaneers-loss-to-the-packers
- USA Today (Packers Wire) — “Packers vs. Buccaneers: Live updates, score and highlights from Week 4”, 2026-10-04 — https://packerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2026/10/04/packers-buccaneers-live-updates-score-and-highlights-from-week-4—live/92090605007/
- NBC Sports — “Packers lead Bucs 10-7 at halftime after Jalon Daniels’ second INT”, 2026-10-04 — https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/packers-lead-bucs-10-7-at-halftime-after-jalon-daniels-second-int
- packers.com — “Packers lead Buccaneers 17-7 after three”, 2026-10-04 — https://www.packers.com/news/in-game-updates-week-4-buccaneers-2026
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