Buccaneers’ Nightmare Start Continues as Tampa Bay Falls to 0-4
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the season expecting to contend for the NFC South.
Four weeks later, they are still searching for their first win.
Tampa Bay fell to 0-4 following Sunday’s 17-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers, continuing a stunning early-season slide for a franchise that had become one of the NFC’s most consistent division contenders over the past several years. It is the Buccaneers’ first 0-4 start since 2013. (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Even more frustrating for Tampa Bay is how close it has repeatedly been.
The Buccaneers have been competitive throughout stretches of the season, but mistakes, injuries and an inability to finish games have continued to pile up. Sunday’s loss may have been the clearest example yet.
With Baker Mayfield sidelined by a dislocated right thumb, undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels made his first NFL start against Green Bay. Daniels completed 19 of 27 passes for 148 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while adding 55 yards with his legs. (Reuters)
It wasn’t a perfect debut, but Daniels gave Tampa Bay an opportunity.
The rookie helped pull the Buccaneers within three when he connected with Kenneth Gainwell for a 10-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay’s defense then did its part, forcing two turnovers in the final nine minutes to repeatedly give the offense a chance to either tie or win the game. (AOL.com)
Neither opportunity turned into points.
After Zyon McCollum recovered a fumble near the Tampa Bay goal line, the Buccaneers couldn’t capitalize. Jacob Parrish later intercepted Jordan Love with just over four minutes remaining, handing Daniels and the offense another opportunity.
Again, Tampa Bay came away empty.
Facing fourth-and-long on its final possession, the Buccaneers elected against attempting a potential 65-yard game-tying field goal. Green Bay brought pressure, Daniels was forced into an incompletion and Tampa Bay’s latest opportunity disappeared with it. (Yahoo Sports)
It has become an uncomfortable theme.
The Buccaneers haven’t necessarily been overwhelmed every week. Against Green Bay, Tampa Bay finished with 275 total yards compared with the Packers’ 283 and possessed the ball for 29:50. Both teams committed two turnovers. The difference was Green Bay making just enough plays when it mattered. (Packers)
Tampa Bay didn’t.
Mayfield’s Injury Makes a Bad Start Worse
An 0-4 record would be concerning under any circumstances.
Trying to recover without the starting quarterback makes the climb considerably steeper.
Mayfield dislocated his right thumb during Tampa Bay’s Week 3 loss to Minnesota and is expected to miss at least three games. That leaves Daniels responsible for trying to keep the season alive despite entering the year as an undrafted rookie from Kansas. (NFL)
Daniels showed enough Sunday to give Tampa Bay some optimism. He looked comfortable using his legs and displayed poise late in the game despite playing behind protection that broke down on the Buccaneers’ decisive fourth-down attempt.
But asking a rookie quarterback to rescue an 0-4 team was never supposed to be part of Tampa Bay’s plan.
The Buccaneers entered 2026 hoping to return to the postseason after narrowly missing it last year. Before that, Tampa Bay had won the NFC South in four consecutive seasons from 2021 through 2024. (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
That recent success makes the current slide even more jarring.
Pressure Beginning to Build in Tampa
At some point, close losses stop being encouraging.
Tampa Bay has reached that point.
The Buccaneers have now dropped 11 of their last 13 games dating back to last season, turning what initially looked like a difficult stretch into a much larger trend. (Yahoo Sports)
That naturally puts more attention on head coach Todd Bowles.
Following Sunday’s loss, Bowles acknowledged that Tampa Bay can no longer settle for simply being competitive.
“We can’t keep getting close and not winning,” Bowles said after the loss. (Pro Football Network)
He’s right.
The Buccaneers’ defense gave them chances Sunday. Their rookie quarterback kept them within striking distance. Tampa Bay committed only four penalties and avoided many of the self-inflicted mistakes that had hurt it earlier in the season. (Packers)
They still lost.
Now the margin for turning the season around is disappearing quickly.
Tampa Bay heads to Dallas for a Thursday night matchup with the Cowboys in Week 5, giving the Buccaneers only a few days to regroup before another nationally televised game. (NFL)
There is plenty of football remaining, but 0-4 changes the conversation.
The Buccaneers are no longer simply trying to correct a slow start. They are trying to prevent a season that began with playoff expectations from slipping away before it ever really gets going.
