The Green Bay Packers are up 10-7 on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at halftime, and it’s thanks largely to rookie Jalon Daniels throwing his second interception of the game. This isn’t just a tough break, it’s a huge momentum swing that put the Packers in the lead right before the break.
Rookie Mistakes Cost Tampa Bay Dearly
Daniels, an undrafted rookie, is making his first career start, stepping in for the injured Baker Mayfield. He hasn’t had a flawless outing, and his second pick was a real gut punch. Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper snagged Daniels’ pass, intended for Kameron Johnson, and returned it 18 yards. That play set Green Bay up at the Tampa Bay 44-yard line with just 34 seconds left in the half. Green Bay’s rookie kicker, Trey Smack, then stepped up and absolutely drilled a 58-yard field goal as the clock hit zero, putting the Packers up 10-7.
Love Finds Golden, Tucker Answers Back
The Packers got on the board first, making it 7-0 after a methodical 16-play, 68-yard drive. They were grinding it out, converting two crucial fourth downs, including a 2-yard touchdown reception by Matthew Golden. The Bucs responded though, with Sean Tucker scoring on a 2-yard run to cap off their own nine-play, 64-yard scoring drive. That tied the game with 5:13 left in the half. Daniels’ first interception of the game was picked off by safety Evan Williams earlier on.
Yardage Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
You know what’s wild? The Bucs have actually outgained the Packers, putting up 141 yards compared to Green Bay’s 116. But man, those two Daniels turnovers were absolutely killers for Tampa Bay. Daniels is 8-of-13 for 74 yards with those two interceptions. On the other side, Jordan Love is 10-of-15 for 65 yards and that touchdown. Packers tight end Tucker Kraft has been a reliable target, catching three passes for 30 yards.
This isn’t how you want your first career start to go for Daniels. He has to clean it up in the second half, or these two picks could really haunt the Bucs. Everything’s on the line when they come back out for the second half, and you know both teams are going to be fighting for every inch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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