Daniels, Garnes Lead Buccaneers to Win Over Jets

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked off their preseason with a 24-16 victory over the New York Jets Friday night at MetLife Stadium. With the Bucs opting not to play their starters in this game, the reserves were given every opportunity to shine and either cement their standing on the team or show the coaching staff that they belong on the 53-man roster. While the Bucs got off to a slow start, finding themselves down 10-0 to a Jets team that started the game playing most of their starters, a pair of undrafted rookies took over the game and guided Tampa to victory. Ayden Garnes Cornerback Ayden Garnes made the play of the game for the Bucs, stepping in front of a Bailey Zappe pass and outrunning everyone for a 47-yard house call. Garnes' pick-6 tied the game at 10, and the Bucs never looked back. Garnes, an undrafted rookie from Arizona, has been turning heads at camp. His game-changing pick-6 against the Jets further put his name on the map, this time under the bright lights of his first NFL game. Garnes also blew up a shovel pass to Jets' running back Breece Hall for a five-yard loss. It is going to be very difficult to keep Garnes off the 53-man roster. Jalon Daniels A back injury suffered by Bucs' backup quarterback Jake Browning during practice earlier this week kept him out of the game, giving another undrafted rookie, QB Jalon Daniels, a huge opportunity to make his case for the roster. While second-year QB Connor Bazelak got the start, he was unable to separate himself from Daniels in the battle for QB3. Bazelak played the first half, completing 12 of 20 passes for 72 yards, a meager 3.6 yards per attempt. With Bazelak at the helm, the Bucs weren't able to find the end zone and were only able to muster three points in the entire half. The offense looked completely different once Daniels took over. After a Jets' three-and-out to start the second half, Daniels led the Bucs on a 12-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a Josh Williams 12-yard touchdown run. The drive took a hair over seven and a half minutes off the clock. Daniels looked in control of the offense, making plays with both his arm and his legs. He scrambled for five yards on a third-and-4 and connected with wide receiver Garrett Greene for a 35-yard gain on third-and-13 from the Tampa 28. In the fourth quarter, Daniels and the offense marched down the field on a methodical 16-play, 65-yard drive that was punctuated with a Daniels' one-yard touchdown plunge. That TD gave Tampa a 24-16 lead and was the last score of the game. Defense After a slow start that saw the Bucs' defense getting gashed on the ground, including a 31-yard TD run by Braelon Allen, the defense settled down and made life miserable for the Jets' quarterbacks. Zappe was picked off twice. Safety Rashad Wisdom also snared an interception to go along with Garnes' pick-6. The Bucs recorded four sacks in the game. Undrafted rookie linebacker Jack Pyburn notched two of them in an impressive performance, including one as New York was driving to potentially tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Defensive end Elijah Roberts and cornerback Damarion Williams each had one. Final Thoughts After a slow start, the Bucs took over and dominated the game against the Jets. Many of Tampa's reserves got a chance to compete against the Jets' starters, which played a part in the Bucs' early 10-0 hole. After the Jets pulled their starters, it was all Bucs. Many players stood out, but Garnes and Daniels were the clear winners coming out of this game. Garnes may have solidified his spot on the roster. Daniels is trying to convince the Bucs to keep a third QB. While he still has work to do, his performance Friday night should see him leapfrog Bazelak on the depth chart. Tampa's next preseason game will be next Saturday night at 7:30, at home against the Kansas City Chiefs.