The Bucs had a big uphill climb on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Really, you could put just about any team’s name in the preceding sentence, and for Tampa Bay, it would have been a massive challenge under the circumstances.

That’s the nature of the beast when you’re trotting an undrafted free agent into the mix as your starting quarterback. And that’s just what the Bucs did on Sunday, with Jalon Daniels getting the start in place of the injured Baker Mayfield.

But a funny thing happened: Daniels, despite some rookie mistakes, actually acquitted himself rather well. Well enough, in fact, if the Bucs had made another play or two elsewhere, they’re likely in the win column for the first time this year on Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately, the Bucs couldn’t come through with one final drive to win or force overtime, fizzling out on downs just past midfield with under a minute and a half left to seal it.

Daniels had rookie moments, but he played well enough to give Tampa Bay a chance to win

The first half had two throws that Daniels would have loved to have had back. As FOX color commentator Jonathan Vilma noted, the Packers appeared to confuse Daniels by showing man coverage by switching to Cover 3 after the snap, and Evan Williams snared it near the sideline and got a knee down for an interception. The Packers turned around and went 68 yards for a 7-0 lead.

Late in the first half, with the Bucs in Green Bay territory and the game tied at seven, Daniels threw well short of Kameron Johnson and it was picked off near the ground by LB Edgerrin Cooper. Cooper had time to get up and run into Bucs territory to allow for a go-ahead Packers field goal right before the half.

But Daniels still was able to move the Bucs and generate two touchdown drives of 54 and 84 drives. He escaped trouble and found Kenny Gainwell on a 10-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter for what would be the game’s final points. He finished 19/27 passing for 147 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He also added eight rushes for 55 yards.

Bucs had crucial mistakes that contributed to the loss

There was plenty of blame elsewhere to go around. Tampa Bay appeared to get off the field on third down in the first half, but a pass interference call on Jacob Parrish kept Green Bay on the field and the drive ended in a touchdown pass to Matthew Golden.

A wide open Cade Otton had a dreadful drop in the first half on what could have been a big play into Packers territory. Tampa Bay ended up punting. The Bucs’ offensive line had some key misses, particularly on the final drive, when rushers got home on multiple plays on the final series. One play saw a free rusher move right past Graham Barton and into Daniels’ face.

Those are the kinds of mistakes that are hard to win with when you’re playing with a razor thin margin of error. Daniels will improve, and the Bucs will need him to. But for Tampa Bay to have any chance of starting to turn their season around, they’re going to have to play nearly flawless football.

Sunday was anything but, and now the Bucs’ season is effectively all but over in early October at 0-4.