Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms heaped praise on Jalon Daniels and argued that he has “starting-caliber traits” after the undrafted rookie led a 24-16 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5.
It was Daniels’ first NFL win, in his second career start, and the Bucs’ first of the season, lifting them to 1-4. He went 19 of 25 for 189 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions while filling in for Baker Mayfield, who has missed the last two games with a right thumb injury.
Chris Simms’ Bold Take on Buccaneers QB Jalon Daniels Draws Mixed Reactions
“It started in the first drive, I was thinking, ‘There’s no way Jalon Daniels is going to make it through this game.’ … I wrote in my notes, ‘Jalon Daniels is playing right now like it’s the last drive of the Super Bowl and it’s the first drive of Week 5.’ Some of the hits and everything he took were incredible. After that, he played the game the right way for the most part,” Simms said.
“You could see that the guy’s got talent. There’s no denying that. He’s got starting-caliber traits. He was on the [draft] radar for a lot of NFL teams but then injuries and style of play and being at Kansas kinda hurt his stock. But you can see that he can throw the football, he’s got a powerful arm, he’s a good athlete. You can tell he had great control of the offense; I was very impressed with that… That was amazing.”
Daniels completed all eight of his passes on Tampa Bay’s first drive, a 15-play, 73-yard march capped by his 5-yard touchdown pass to Bucky Irving. He became the first undrafted rookie quarterback to complete his first eight passes in a game since 1967, and the drive fell one second short of the longest touchdown drive by time in franchise history.
Daniels finished with a 110.2 passer rating and became the third undrafted rookie quarterback since 1950 to win in prime time in his first or second start.
According to PFN’s QB Impact Score, Daniels posted the ninth-best performance among all quarterbacks in Week 5 with a 78.0 grade. On the season, his 72.8 grade ranks 19th in the NFL. For comparison, Mayfield ranks 32nd out of 34 eligible quarterbacks with a 63.0 grade.
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“He looked solid last night,” one fan replied to Simms.
Ten quarterbacks were drafted in April, and Daniels went unpicked through all 257 selections before signing with Tampa Bay.
“My favorite undrafted player in last year’s class for a good reason,” another fan wrote. “Still can’t believe Jalon Daniels went undrafted after his Combine performance.”
Daniels, who played at Kansas, beat out veteran Jake Browning to earn a roster spot and the backup job behind Mayfield. He is the first undrafted rookie to start at quarterback in Bucs history. Meanwhile, Simms was a third-round pick by the Bucs in 2003 and he spent five seasons with Tampa Bay, appearing in 19 games (including 15 starts).
“Being at KU wasn’t a problem, they have a genius OC and a tremendous coach who oversees the QB position,” one account replied. “He didn’t transfer to an SEC program because he had a lot going for him at KU, and he’s highly intelligent so he understood that.”
Doubters Want Daniels Tested by a Tougher Defense Than the Dallas Cowboys
Other fans pumped the brakes on Daniels’ hype train, arguing that they need to see more before crowning him.
“Let’s see him do it against a legit NFL defense,” one fan wrote. “Everyone’s an All-Pro vs the Cowboys.”
Tampa Bay ran for 241 yards on 39 carries against the Cowboys. Irving had a career-high 165 yards on the ground, including a 72-yard run to open the second half that set up the go-ahead touchdown. PFN’s NFL RB Impact Score has Irving at a 91.7 grade for the game, the top performance among 42 graded running backs last week.
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“When you’ve got a young quarterback, you’ve got to lean on the ground game a little bit more,” coach Todd Bowles said, adding that the offensive line and Irving made the game easier for Daniels.
Daniels’ throws stayed short, too. He averaged 4.1 intended air yards per pass against Dallas, tied for the shallowest mark among 31 qualified quarterbacks in Week 5, according to Next Gen Stats.
“Wayyy too early to be saying this ha,” another fan replied.
Daniels has made just two starts, and the first was rougher. He threw two interceptions and was sacked three times in a 17-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. PFN’s NFL QB Impact Score gave him a 71.9 grade for that game, which tied for 23rd of 32 graded quarterbacks that week. There were flashes, but it wasn’t as impressive as his showing against Dallas.
“He learned so much from his first start,” Bowles said after the win over the Cowboys. “Coming into this game, he was determined to play better.”
Bowles said that he expects Daniels to start again on Sunday when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit Raymond James Stadium, giving the undrafted rookie another chance to show what he can do.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.