Rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels completes all eight passes on a 15-play touchdown drive that keeps Dallas off the field for nearly 11 minutes.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers executed a drive that lasted nearly eleven minutes during Thursday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. The 15-play possession covered 73 yards and took 10 minutes and 58 seconds off the clock. It was Tampa Bay’s longest drive by elapsed time since 2007.
The effort came against a Dallas defense that has been among the NFL’s worst this season. The matchup was expected to be easier for the Cowboys due to the absence of Tampa Bay starting quarterback Baker Mayfield. However the Buccaneers quickly proved that assumption wrong with their opening drive.
Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels led the charge by completing all eight of his passes during the drive. Daniels threw for 49 yards and a touchdown while also gaining 11 yards on two rushing attempts. The Cowboys’ defense struggled to stop the Buccaneers’ attack and committed three penalties that helped Tampa Bay maintain possession.
The drive ended with Daniels throwing a five-yard touchdown pass to running back Bucky Irving. The score tied the game at 7-7 after Dallas had scored on its opening possession. According to NBC Sports the Cowboys were also penalized for defensive holding during a third-down play that would otherwise have resulted in a sack.
The Buccaneers started the second half with another impressive offensive effort.
Tampa Bay needed just two plays to travel 86 yards and take a 14-10 lead. Irving broke free for a 72-yard run before Emeka Egbuka scored on a 14-yard rushing touchdown. The drive took only one minute and provided a sharp contrast to the team’s lengthy first-half possession.
Even though the Buccaneers had a difficult start to the season with Daniels making his first NFL start against Green Bay they showed signs of improvement against Dallas. Daniels threw for 148 yards and had two interceptions against the Packers in Week 4. He also completed 19 of 27 passes and rushed for 55 yards in the 17-14 loss.
The Buccaneers’ offensive line has been a concern this season and has struggled to protect its quarterbacks. Despite those problems the team was able to move the ball effectively against Dallas. The lengthy opening possession showed that Tampa Bay could sustain an offensive drive even without Mayfield.
Dallas entered the game with a 2-2 record while Tampa Bay was still searching for its first victory after four consecutive losses. The Cowboys had one of the league’s highest-scoring offenses but their defense continued to struggle. Dallas had allowed the fifth-most points in the NFL through the first four weeks according to CBS Sports.
The Cowboys have faced mobile quarterbacks this season and have given up significant rushing yards to them. Daniels presented another challenge because of his ability to extend plays and gain yards with his legs. The Buccaneers were able to control the pace of play and keep the Cowboys’ offense on the sideline for much of the first quarter.
Tampa Bay’s ability to sustain long drives demonstrated how a struggling offense can still create problems for a vulnerable defense. It also showed that Daniels could lead the team effectively in his second NFL start.
IMAGE: Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels (uniform No. 6, blue) gains a first down against Arkansas (white) during the second quarter of the 2022 Liberty Bowl at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.. Photo: Barrett Long / Wikimedia, taken 2022-12-28, CC BY-SA 4.0