Playoff Lenny: Bucs Can Win With Jalon Daniels
October 17th, 2026
Playoff Lenny is open to keeping Baker Mayfield on the bench.
Here. We. Go!
Back when Baker Mayfield got hurt in the loss to the Browns — he dislocated the thumb on his throwing hand — a lot of Bucs fans understandably moaned, “What now?”
To which Joe typed the day after, “What happens if Jalon Daniels wins?”
The Bucs made Mayfield their $165 Million Dollar Man six weeks ago. Problem is, in Mayfield’s last 11 starts, the Bucs are 2-9. And the last strong game Mayfield has played was when he put the Bucs on his back and beat the 49ers at home over a year ago.
When franchise quarterbacks are winning that few games, that usually signals a team is in the market to draft a first-round quarterback.
In Mayfield’s absence, Daniels has guided the Bucs to a 1-1 record. And the offense looks smoother if not a tad more productive.
This week on his podcast “Fourth and South” with his co-host Jarvis Landry, retired Bucs great and Super Bowl hero Playoff Lenny hollered that the Bucs need to go with the hot hand at quarterback and that is Daniels, the undrafted rookie from Kansas.
“Me personally, Jalon Daniels is a perfect fit for the Bucs right now,” Playoff Lenny said. “Why? They’re winning! Uh, they’re winning.
“When Baker was back there, [he] wasn’t winning nothing, so I think [Mayfield’s injury] was a blessing and a curse. I’m not wishing nobody getting hurt. But at the same time, [Daniels is] giving them more opportunity to win.”
Playoff Lenny wanted to make it clear: He’s not anti-Mayfield, and he believes Mayfield is much more game-savvy than Daniels. Still, Playoff Lenny said, the Bucs need wins.
Now.
The Bucs cannot be worried about bruised egos because the name of the game is winning so KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles needs to play the hot hand, Playoff Lenny said.
“I’m not saying Jalon’s decision-making is better than Baker, which to me is even, because Baker throws picks,” Playoff Lenny said. “He fumbles. He does a lot.
“But at the end of the day, what can you do for me now? They’re winning. I say keep Daniels in until we figure it out.
“Yes, Baker got a $100 million contract. But damn that. We want wins, Coach. Yeah.”
Playoff Lenny added if Daniels falters and Mayfield is healthy, then put Mayfield back in and he will figure it out sooner or later. Mayfield may be the best option by November and December and beyond, Playoff Lenny said, but if the Bucs don’t win now, it won’t matter.
Hey, if Daniels and the Bucs pull off a win tomorrow and Daniels and the offense look OK, what do you do if Mayfield is healthy next week?
Who back in July at training camp imagined this would be the Bucs’ position before Halloween, debating who should start at quarterback, a veteran worth some $165 million or an undrafted rookie earning about as much as Mayfield tips when he takes his wife to Eddie V’s?
Lenny wants Jalon Daniels to KEEP the QB job in Tampa š³
Jarvis isnāt buying it š
Jalon Daniels might be the winning fit…#4thAndSouth #GoBucs #NFL pic.twitter.com/eysRVLdDFm
— 4th and South (@4thAndSouthPod) October 15, 2026
Enjoy Friday’s Ira Kaufman Podcast! It’s a must-listen before the Steelers-Bucs game.
October 17th, 2026 at 7:56 am
I agree.
JD isn’t great but at least he hasn’t fumbled 3 times in one game.
At least he doesn’t lead the NFL in turnovers.
At least he knows when to slide or get out of bounds.
JD doesn’t have the same “Moxy and grit” as BM but he has way more composure in the pocket.
Don’t worry Buc fans our fullback will return soon to lead us to a high draft pick.
Go Bucs!
October 17th, 2026 at 8:09 am
The Browns? Who played QB against the Bikings then?
October 17th, 2026 at 8:10 am
His composure will be tested, Watt and Heyward are drooling…Pressure will be pushing down on him…Rather have Mayfield starting…Sorry
October 17th, 2026 at 8:18 am
@ Steve
“Rather have Mayfield starting”
Why?
What does BM bring to the table with a dislocated surgically repaired thumb on his throwing hand?
He was horrible at throwing the ball further than 15-20 yards to begin with…
October 17th, 2026 at 8:20 am
@ Steve
I guess we could just line up on offense and run the old option offense like Nebraska did back in the day…
That might work.
October 17th, 2026 at 8:26 am
Lmao would bet all you guysā mediocre stock portfolios that Jalon Daniels will never in his life come anywhere close to the 3 seasons Mayfield has had with us. Whatāre we doing. You guysā¦I swear to god, mongoloid dna must be coursing through your veins. The Cowboys defense is ranked 32 in 5 categories. 70% of his passing yards was on a busted play to Tez. They controlled time of possession through the running game. The game could not have played out any more perfectly. They play tomorrow the cowboys are still favored by 7 and a half. Reality is coming
October 17th, 2026 at 8:32 am
And Steve…
Never ever apologize for giving an honest opinion my friend.
I love debating.
Some might call me a “master debator” and I wear that badge with great honor.
We are all Bucs fans who are suffering together.
Truth is – we are screwed and there is no easy way out.
Have you ever watched The Shawshank Redemption?
We are going to now have to make that crawl through the sewer amigo…
The long pipe of “you know what” awaits us all.
Go Bucs!
October 17th, 2026 at 8:36 am
Rushing Baker back after a few wins with JD would be foolish. Baker thrives as the underdog and melts when he’s expected to win. The much better move is to ride the kid until he loses and the season is on the brink. Then you bring Bake off the bench with nothing to lose and he just might surprise us all.
October 17th, 2026 at 8:41 am
This is a very winnable game against the Rogettes. 2 very important goals…
1. Run the ball, and for once Zac, throw some short to mid range passes to our backS (notice I used the plural version of backS). The production does not have to be like we did vs Dallas. Not going to get 8 yards per carry average. 4 to 5 yards will be fine – so be patient and determined Zac – run the DA@N ball!! Controlling the TOP will do 2 things: Keeps Rogers on the bench and will give Daniels easier passes to our WR, because at some point, Daniels will have to pass the ball.
2. Stop the run – which the Bucs are VERY GOOD AT. Make Rogers one dimensional. Put Zion on Metcalf and the Rogettes dont have much after that.
Of course, one huge concern is the Rogettes TEs and RBs getting loose in the middle for the passing game – they are good at that and the Bucs are NOT (and to make it worse, is Dennis starting?!).
I have to believe. I am just not wired to be a troll. Besides, there is no team I hate more than the Steelers. I used to be an Oilers fan back in the day of Earl the Pearl
October 17th, 2026 at 8:54 am
The Shawshank Redemption?
We are going to now have to make that crawl through the sewer amigoā¦
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AWESOME movie!!! And I have to give you credit Marine, awesome analogy.
The nasty sewer pipe for the Bucs is longer than the one in Shawshank. It will take us 13 more weeks before we can crawl out to freedom. And then what do we have?? Todd in not the worst coach in the NFL, anyone who claims that is just full of hate and does not see objectively. We could do worse.
October 17th, 2026 at 8:59 am
For those who cry about Todd going for it on 4th and goal and not kicking the FG (most of Todd’s bad calls I hate, I loved him showing faith in the offense). For those same ppl who swoon for Liam Coen…
did you know that last week Coen went for it 4 times in the red zone on 4th down???
Did you know out of those 4 times, the Jags GOT ONE FG?!
Let me do the math for you: 4 RZ trips x 4 FGs = 12 points
Coen got a total of 3 points in a crazy close game like ours in Dallas
October 17th, 2026 at 9:00 am
@ Senor Harry
“It will take us 13 more weeks before we can crawl out to freedom.”
Oh Harry…
Do you really believe it will only be a “13 week” trip through that sewer pipe?
Did you not notice the deal our “ROH” GM just signed Baker Mayfield to?
Did you know the high intellectual football folks call these deals “franchise destroyers”…
This contract our genius GM made with BM is the Thanos of our little Buc fan universe.
One last question – are you good at crawling through very small sewer pipes?
October 17th, 2026 at 9:24 am
Sorry Marine, I am not there yet with JL.
I think JL is a very good GM. I think our problem is coaching. Especially our O.
We have basically the same players as when Coen was here. But until last week, all facets of the O had regressed.
* We still dont utilize the RBs in the passing game. Bucky had 2 targets last week.
* Cade is our leading receiver?
* Where is Godwin, Ebuka, Hurst?
* Where is Gainwell? Do you believe Zac did not fully bless signing him?
As I said, Todd is not the worst HC, but I believe Todd’s ceiling to be LOW.
* Todd is on record of saying he does not believe in a pass rush.
* So much for utilizing Bains.
* So much for utilizing Walker
JL has 4 rookies either starting or making significant contributions, THAT is VERY good and JL does that almost every year.
JL’s FA signing of Robinson has been a home run. Robinson is contributing more than our All Pro Kansey and VV
So Marine, debate away. You will never convince me JL is the problem.
A much bigger concern to me is who replaces Todd? Coens, Ben Johnsons, Kyle Shanahans are harder to find than a franchise QB, IMO
October 17th, 2026 at 9:29 am
Iām praying the kid wins,, what a great problem to have that would be ! However , We have to watch out for all those quick screens we threw against Dallas , Watt is pretty good about getting his hands on them and sometimes ending up in the other teams end zone. Beyond that , the same formula , run the ball, timely scrambles and no turnovers could just win
October 17th, 2026 at 9:30 am
The Yucks ! Great job Todd ! Enjoy the free ride while it last ! DEI hires suck !
October 17th, 2026 at 9:32 am
Marine..Didn’t know he went under the knife..Back in my day you just pulled that sucker back in place.Kids are soft now a days…
October 17th, 2026 at 9:47 am
Why donāt we go ahead and order Hall of Fame jacket for Danielās too? Maybe during halftime we can rewrite his contract and install his name on the Tong of Honor. Oh, letās retire his jersey number too.
October 17th, 2026 at 9:47 am
Joe said ā if Daniels and the Bucs pull off a win tomorrow and Daniels and the offense look OK, what do you do if Mayfield is healthy next week?ā
Then Baker sits. If #10 doesnt turn it over then he is the better option.
If Baker and his contract come back in and lose, then the Glazers are paying for Lās instead of Wās , which is nutts, but thats the bed they made.
October 17th, 2026 at 9:48 am
Lets just hope the O line keeps Jalon healthy! Im excited for this kid. We def have a great backup QB now š
My mock drafts are now focused on (trading down, hopefully) and interior O line the first 2 picks.
October 17th, 2026 at 9:51 am
If JD beats the Steelers, he earns the right to lead us into the bye. Start Baler after the bye and if he canāt pull off a W vs the Lions then throw JD back in for reps.
In the end, we need to build our QB2 and this might be a good year to do so. Competition might also light a fire under Baker
October 17th, 2026 at 9:52 am
Dlavid Says:
The Yucks ! Great job Todd ! Enjoy the free ride while it last ! DEI hires suck !
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You win the dumbest comment of the Year! Congrats David!
What happened that you hate so much? Did you get displaced by a DEI hire? Did your wife leave you for something bigger?
Ranked NFL Coaches based on win%. Yea, Dungy and Tomlin suck… lol
Coach Total Win %
Tony Dungy. .652
Bill Belichic. .652
Andy Reid .641
John Harbaugh. .611
Mike Tomlin. .612
Sean Payton. .623
October 17th, 2026 at 9:54 am
^^^^ in the last 20 years…
October 17th, 2026 at 10:12 am
I smell someone is being a hater and telling it from a players perspective all in one. He calls him the 110 million qb which he is he only got two years guaranteed. Which is true if they cut him after two. But players donāt care who plays as long as they win. So Bowles has a huge decision to make if Danielās beats the Steelers. Start mayfield against the panthers and we lose you will have a bunch of players second guessing Bowles and his decision not to start Danielās. And it will cause a mutiny of the players. He better have an honest meeting with his team if Danielās beats the Steelers and hear from the captains. See what his team thinks.
October 17th, 2026 at 10:19 am
Anyone commenting about Daniels earning the right to keep the starting job when Mayfield gets healthy. Or being a QB on the level of Baker? Even Joe is getting a little giddy about it.
When Baker gets healthy heās our QB. Heās not a little better than Jalon. He is on a different planet than Jalon when it comes to QB play.
All you trolls still havenāt come to grips with Baker getting a fat extension. He earned it by being one of the very top QBs in this league the last 3 years.
3 QBs in NFL history thrown for 4500 yards and 70% completion percentage and over 40 touchdowns? Over 12000 yards and 95 touchdowns in 3 years? The highest passer rating in NFL history in playoffs?
Daniels is a good kid. He is not nearly as good a QB as Mayfield is. You knuckleheads need to get a grip.
October 17th, 2026 at 10:35 am
I donāt know what Lennyās doing hereā¦ one win against the Cowboys does not add up to āwinning.ā
October 17th, 2026 at 10:35 am
No one is arguing that Baker is a better QB. Baker is our starting QB. Fact remains he has not been able to command wins for almost a seasons worth of games. Thatās an issue.
Baker canāt find wins. In the NFL, wins matter.
October 17th, 2026 at 10:42 am
Kenton, agree with you completely! Our āfansā have short memories. I wish JD well, but Mayfield is much better than Daniels.
October 17th, 2026 at 10:57 am
For the math impaired, Mayfield is 2-10 in his last 12 games.
One win vs a putrid 32nd ranked defense that Bowels tried to lose is not impressive in the least.
It’s no surprise that playoff Lenny is expressing this opinion.
And we know the reason why.
October 17th, 2026 at 11:03 am
AquaBum. With the team Brady left Tampa with, in 3 years Mayfield has won 27 games. Thatās like in a totally different universe of anything Todd Bowles or Jason Licht or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are used to doing historically.
Bowles, Licht, or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are nowhere close to winning half their games- historically. Iām thinking Baker, despite playing for the absolute dregs of this league in terms of franchise records, gives this team the chance to do things they could never do.
The whole league knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, why we won while Brady and Gronk were here. The football world knows why our first Super Bowl team won- DEFENSE.
Other than that, the most impressive football Tampa has ever played is with Baker at the helm. The season is just getting started. And so is Mayfields career as the QB of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Like it or not, thatās the way that cookie is going to crumble.
October 17th, 2026 at 11:05 am
If we can’t run the ball close to what we did LAST week (unlikely) the kid will have a long day. Does no one remember Randy Hedberg?
October 17th, 2026 at 11:34 am
āearning about as much as Mayfield tips when he takes his wife to Eddie Vāsā šš¤£šš¤£šš¤£š
October 17th, 2026 at 11:42 am
Baker wants to hurry cuz he can feel his job slipping with the fans and the team. Everyone before the season was say pay the man is money now everybody wants to see him on the bench just crazy NFL is a crazy world
October 17th, 2026 at 11:46 am
People keep harping that Tampa didn’t earn a win against another professional team, because the Cowboy’s is statistically near or at the bottom in several categories, but their offense prior to meeting up with the Bucs was #2 scoring offense that averaged over 31 points a game, and the Bucs managed to limit them to a season-low 16 points. Dak Prescott hadn’t thrown a pick in over 140 something pass attempts, and the Bucs D managed to secure two. But somehow acknowledging folks want to only acknowledge how poorly Dallas defense wilted under primetime, when easily our defense could have done the same. The TOP battle was sustained because the defense limited Dallas success on 3rd down conversions for most of the night. If the D didn’t keep Dallas off the field, the outcome of that game would be far more perilous. If the D doesn’t come up big, the team wouldn’t have anything to celebrate. Plus kudos to our special teams mercenary Miles Killebrew for forcing a turnover on special teams, while keeping an all-pro returner like Kevontae Turpin from any breakaway returns. It was team win, not just our offense exploiting weaknesses from Dallas’ porous defense.
October 17th, 2026 at 11:58 am
Kenton I agree, mayfield was on fire the first three years.
Unfortunately, this league forgets fast and as those numbers get diluted with bakers recent bad play, Iām sure the average wonāt look so good if you expand your timeframe to 2026.
I like going with the hot hand, and feel baker plays better when he is motivated (maybe losing motivated him, but we need wins). Thatās why I feel like we let baker and Robinson coach together until the bye, should make baker more effective when he returns (he has not seemed like heās on the same page as Zac).
Iām not a baker hater – in fact, I think heās our best QB (take Brady out of the picture) in a long time. But he is his own worst enemy
October 17th, 2026 at 12:00 pm
Can’t proofread enough… Cowboy’s defense is statistically near or at the bottom… and …somehow folks want only acknowledge how poorly Dallas’ defense… to add to those corrections… Dak Prescott suffered his worst game of the season both in pass completion percentage 57.1% and single-game passer rating of 69.1. Those weren’t a result of his defense playing bad, but our defense making plays especially the pass rush disrupting the timing and accuracy of Dallas’ passing game. Again no sacks, doesn’t look sexy, but it was effective enough to keep Dak from getting comfortable and getting into rhythm. You do that consistently to a QB, you don’t need sacks to beat your chest, to say I’m the greatest, just keep them from putting together sustained drives and out of the endzone.
October 17th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
Baker carr mayfield sucks heās just not a winner how many more time does he need to prove it he aint elite never was never will be time to trade and rebuild from the gm to the coach to the overrated overpaid players
October 17th, 2026 at 1:27 pm
SummerofGeorge Says:
October 17th, 2026 at 10:57 am
For the math impaired, Mayfield is 2-10 in his last 12 games
āāāāāāāāāā
This ^^. Two years ago Baker had the coordinator and weapons to be really good, but some of that is gone now and he has looked bad. #10 does NOT have a busted throwing hand and moves and escapes the pocket pretty well. Baker looks like he is in a blender. I would stay start the kid the next few games no matter what happens. Dont bring in a barely healthy Mayfield.
October 17th, 2026 at 5:18 pm
I agree. Daniels seems to have more poise.