The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came out on top in the Meadowlands in the preseason opener against the New York Jets in a 24-16 victory at MetLife Stadium on Friday evening. The Buccaneers sidelined their starters in the exhibition game, providing young players with the chance to shine and vie for a roster spot on the final 53. Jalon Daniels took over at quarterback in the second half and put on a show, completing 10 of 15 passes for 111 yards, also producing a one-yard touchdown rush up the middle in the fourth quarter. He orchestrated two scoring drives, featuring a Josh Williams' 12-yard scoring run in the third that gave Tampa Bay a 17-13 advantage. Defensively, cornerback Ayden Garnes returned a second-quarter interception 47 yards for a touchdown, shifting the momentum inside MetLife Stadium.
Offensive Overview
Starting quarterback Baker Mayfield served as a spectator for the preseason debut and with Jake Browning out with a back injury, Connor Bazelak started the game and played the first half, completing 12 of 20 attempts for 72 yards. Jalon Daniels took over after the half and took command of the offense with poise, making several improvisation plays to move the chains using his legs. He delivered tight-window darts and showed effective pocket awareness and field vision. First-year running back Josh Williams accumulated 27 yards on the ground on eight totes, including a 12-yard touchdown in the third quarter that gave the Buccaneers a lead the visiting team never relinquished. Williams made a quick lateral cut and accelerated through the hole on the inside shoulder of the tackle and took off for the end zone, capping off a 12-play, 80-yard drive.
"I thought he was very poised," said Head Coach Todd Bowles on Daniels. "He went in relaxed. We knew he could make off-schedule plays out of the pocket but he played very confident in the pocket and he made the right reads. He zipped some throws in there. I thought he played very well."
Defensive Outlook
The Buccaneers tallied two takeaways on Friday night and the club's defensive line was able to generate pressure. The possession after Garnes' thrilling pick-six, safety Rashad Wisdom nabbed a pass deflection and intercepted the ball, putting the Bucs' offense right back on the field. Overall, the unit generated four sacks, two by undrafted rookie Jack Pyburn. Defensive lineman Elijah Roberts and cornerback Damarion Williams also registered sacks on the evening to spark the squad on the road. On each of the takeaways, Bucs' second-year outside linebacker David Walker, who missed the entirety of the 2025 slate with a torn ACL, disrupted the pocket and worked his way into the backfield which sped up the opposing quarterback's process. In preseason Week One, Garnes' timely pick-six impacted the trajectory of the game and led to a positive domino effect.
"He's getting better," said Bowles of Garnes. "We knew he could cover. That was the biggest thing about him, missing tackles. He missed one early, I think he let Breece [Hall] out one time, but he came back with the pick. He doesn't carry plays. The next play he forgets about it like a good corner should do. He's getting better every week."
