Buccaneers Host Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers Sunday as Jalon Daniels Lines Up for a Third Start and Trump Drops Plans to Attend

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will try to turn their first win of the season into a streak on Sunday when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit Raymond James Stadium, and they are expected to do it again with undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels at quarterback. Baker Mayfield, out since dislocating the thumb on his throwing hand, did not practice Wednesday, and coach Todd Bowles said a timetable for his return was speculation until he throws.

Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Eastern on CBS, according to the team. The Buccaneers are 1-4 after beating Dallas 24-16 last Thursday night. Pittsburgh is 3-2.

Daniels set for a third start

Bowles said last Friday that Daniels was likely to make his third straight start, according to Buccaneers.com, and Mayfield's absence from Wednesday's practice suggested nothing had changed. Daniels, who made the roster out of Kansas as an undrafted free agent this summer, lost his first start 17-14 to Green Bay with a 65.0 passer rating and two interceptions. In Dallas, he completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, a 110.2 rating, according to the team and ESPN's box score.

Daniels told reporters the biggest change between his two starts was "composure within the pocket," which he described as "trusting my eyes, trusting what the defense was giving me and taking No. 1 or No. 2 in the progression," according to Buccaneers.com.

Bowles credited the rookie's command of the huddle and his work with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, which showed in three touchdown drives of 73 yards or more against the Cowboys. "He doesn't look like a rookie when he's out there," Bowles said, according to the team's website.

The run game carried the Dallas win. Bucky Irving rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, including a 72-yard run out of halftime, and caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Daniels, according to ESPN and the team. Daniels also hit second-year receiver Tez Johnson for a 64-yard gain that set up a score.

Mayfield's status

Mayfield was originally estimated to miss "a minimum of three weeks," according to Buccaneers.com, and he has sat out the last two games. Bowles said Wednesday the team would see later that day how well Mayfield could grip and throw the football.

"We've got to see him throw. We haven't even broached that topic yet. So everything right now is just speculation," Bowles said, according to the team. Bowles added that Mayfield would not be active as an emergency quarterback if Daniels starts. "If he's not a hundred percent, he doesn't need to play," Bowles said. ESPN's injury listing on Wednesday had Mayfield as doubtful.

Injury report

Mayfield was one of five Buccaneers who did not practice Wednesday, according to the team's injury report:

Winfield, the two-time Pro Bowl safety, suffered a slight rib fracture against Green Bay, and Bowles said Oct. 5 that he would probably miss two to four weeks. Tackle Tristan Wirfs (knee) and receiver David Sills V (hamstring) were full participants.

The Rodgers problem

Pittsburgh brings Aaron Rodgers, who is playing his 18th and final season, according to Buccaneers.com. Rodgers has thrown for 1,234 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions, according to ESPN, including three touchdown passes in a 34-22 win over Indianapolis last Sunday. The Buccaneers have faced him seven times, winning four, including the NFC Championship Game after the 2020 season.

"It's a nightmare game-planning against him," Bowles said, according to the team. "He's difficult because he's extremely intelligent."

Running back Jaylen Warren leads the Steelers in both rushing (410 yards) and receiving, and he scored on an 80-yard catch and a 50-yard run against the Colts. Tampa Bay ranks second in the NFL in run defense, according to the team. On the other side, Daniels will see one of the league's top pass rushes, led by T.J. Watt (4.5 sacks) and Alex Highsmith (3.0).

Pittsburgh has alternated wins and losses all season: a 20-13 win over Atlanta, a 20-3 loss at New England, a 30-27 win over Cincinnati, a 27-24 loss at Cleveland and the win over the Colts, according to ESPN. ESPN's betting line listed the Steelers as 2.5-point favorites.

Trump no longer expected

President Donald Trump is no longer expected to attend the game, the Tampa Bay Times reported Tuesday, citing an update from CNN reporter Kristen Holmes. Holmes had first reported that Trump would be at Raymond James Stadium as part of a pre-midterm swing through battleground states.

Trump told reporters Tuesday that he plans to visit more states, including Florida, before the Nov. 3 midterm election, according to CNN as cited by the Times. Florida's governor's race between Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly is shaping up as closer than expected, the Times reported.

A lopsided series with close recent games

Pittsburgh leads the all-time series 10-2, but the last three meetings were decided by three points or fewer, according to Buccaneers.com. The Steelers' last visit to Tampa was a 30-27 Monday night win in 2018. The rosters have familiar faces: former Buccaneers cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting now play for Pittsburgh, and running back Kenny Gainwell, the Steelers' team MVP last season, signed with Tampa Bay in March.

What's next

Despite their record, the Buccaneers are only one win behind the NFC South leaders, with Carolina at 2-2 and Atlanta at 2-3, according to the team. Tampa Bay visits the Panthers on Oct. 25, while the Steelers head to Paris to face New Orleans at Stade de France the same day. Further practice reports Thursday and Friday will show whether Mayfield throws and whether Winfield is any closer to returning.