The Green Bay Packers held off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17–14 on Sunday, surviving two fourth-quarter red-zone turnovers before their defense stopped Tampa Bay’s final drive.
Jordan Love threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns as Green Bay improved to 2–2. Tampa Bay fell to 0–4 despite a fourth-quarter push in Jalon Daniels’ first NFL start.
Green Bay builds the early lead
Love threw 2-yard touchdown passes to Matthew Golden and Tucker Kraft. Trey Smack added a 58-yard field goal, and the Packers took a 10–7 lead into halftime.
Green Bay’s defense intercepted Daniels twice. Evan Williams and Edgerrin Cooper recorded the picks, helping the Packers maintain an advantage even as their offense failed to put the game away.
Two red-zone turnovers leave the door open
The Packers had two chances to build a two-score fourth-quarter lead, but both possessions ended in turnovers near the goal line. Kaleb Johnson lost a fumble inside the 5-yard line, and Tampa Bay later intercepted Love.
The Buccaneers pulled within three when Daniels found Kenneth Gainwell for a 10-yard touchdown with 14:49 remaining. Daniels completed 19 of 27 passes for 148 yards and rushed for 55 yards while starting in place of Baker Mayfield, who was out with a thumb injury.
Tampa Bay’s final possession stalled under pressure, preserving Green Bay’s narrow lead.
Different questions for two 2026 starts
The Packers reached .500 but left Tampa with clear finishing issues after twice turning the ball over in scoring position. Their defense did enough to offset those mistakes.
The Buccaneers remain winless, although Daniels kept them within one possession in his debut start. The result gives Tampa Bay little recovery time before a Thursday road game in Dallas.
More AskNovus NFL coverage includes the Bears’ win over the Jets and the Cowboys’ late comeback over Houston.
Sources
- Green Bay Packers official recap, October 4, 2026
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers official recap, October 4, 2026
- NFL game center, October 4, 2026
- Reuters NFL roundup, October 5, 2026
Featured image is illustrative. Photo: Aaron Burden/Unsplash.