Evan Williams Leads Winners, Losers From Packers’ Win at Buccaneers

The Green Bay Packers went into Tampa Bay on Sunday desperate for a win. They were 1-2, and had just gotten the brakes beaten off of them by the Atlanta Falcons last Thursday.

They caught a break when they did not have to face Baker Mayfield, who killed them the last time he started against them in December 2023. Instead, they faced undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, who was making his first career start. Furthermore, he was the first undrafted rookie to start in the first four weeks of the season since the 1970s, according to the Fox broadcast.

The Packers entered the fourth quarter with a 17-7 lead and a chance to finish the job, as they talked about all offseason. Try as it might, the offense could not give the game away. Two fourth-quarter turnovers were erased by two huge plays from safety Evan Williams.

He leads off are our weekly winners and losers from Green Bay’s 17-14 victory over Tampa Bay.

Winner: S Evan Williams

The Packers were looking for a spark in the first half as Tampa Bay started to drive the field with Jalon Daniels and their run game making some headway against their defense.

Daniels loaded up to throw the ball near the left sideline as Williams dove in front of the receiver for an interception that was initially ruled incomplete before a quick conference rightfully ruled that Williams had made the play.

Later in the game, Williams broke up a pass to force a fourth down. He was all over the field.

The best players, however, save their biggest plays for the biggest spots of the game. Williams did just that as Jonathan Gannon sent him on a blitz late in the fourth quarter with the Bucs threatening to tie or take the lead.

Williams hemmed Daniels into the pocket and got him on the ground for a critical sack. The Bucs had two downs to pick up 16 yards.

Gannon went back to the well sending Williams on a pressure to try and ice the game.

Williams did not finish off the sack, but he held onto Daniels’ foot long enough to make sure that he could not get much mustard on a desperation heave to Ted Hurst. The ball fell harmlessly incomplete, and the Packers escaped Tampa Bay with a win.

For a defense desperate for playmakers, Williams is certainly emerging as one of them in the secondary.

Winner: LB Edgerrin Cooper

The Packers looked like they were going to trail at halftime when Edgerrin Cooper made his presence known to finish the first half.

Jalon Daniels dropped back to pass and attempted to hit his checkdown in the middle of the field when Cooper took flight.

He dove in front of the running back for a diving interception. His catch, and return, gave the Packers the ball in scoring range and led to Trey Smack’s 58-yard-bomb as time expired.

Unfortunately for both the Packers and Cooper, he left the game on a cart after an injury that did not look good. He was ruled out almost immediately with an Achilles injury.

Cooper has been one of Green Bay’s best players this season. If he is down for a significant period of time, that would be an enormous blow to the defense.

Loser: DC Jonathan Gannon

Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (56) is carted off the field during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Not for performance issues. Jonathan Gannon’s defense remains the most consistent group on this team. However, he's starting to lose some of his studs.

Micah Parsons is not coming back this week, and who knows when he will be. To add to the list of questions that Gannon must answer on a given week, now he's lost star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper for the season with an Achilles injury.

“I would suspect that, yes,” coach Matt LaFleur said of Cooper missing the rest of the season.

Losing top players makes the job harder for any coach. Without Cooper and Parsons, Gannon is likely down his top two players. He'll be working overtime to earn his paycheck this week and for the rest of the season.

Winner: K Trey Smack

What a weapon that Trey Smack has turned out to be for the Packers’ special teams. He’s able to score from almost any spot on the field. That’s a slight exaggeration, but he’s been a clear upgrade in the kicking game through four weeks this season.

A new competitive advantage in the NFL is the ability to make kicks from more 55-plus and longer. The Packers did not have that option a season ago with Brandon McManus kicking injured, and kicking poorly.

Smack has now made two kicks from that distance, as he added another one on Sunday to give the Packers a 10-7 lead at halftime.

Green Bay Packers punter Daniel Whelan (19) and kicker Trey Smack celebrate a field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Winner: Offensive Line

Yes, the bar to clear was low coming into Sunday's game but the Packers looked much better up front. They had two new guards in the lineup with Laken Tomlinson and Travis Glover getting the starts on the left and right side. They were not clean. Tomlinson was penalized twice and Glover once. Right tackle Anthony Belton was tagged with a false start. Left tackle Jordan Morgan missed a block on a run play in the first half.

For the most part, though, they were able to run a functional offense. Jordan Love was not under duress on every single snap. They found minor glimpses of being able to put a ground game together.

“It was it was great,” Love said. “I think the O line did a great job today (with) pass protection, run game. Obviously, just keep me clean, give me some time. They did a great job, and you could feel the difference back there for sure.”

Was it perfect? No. There's still a lot of issues that need to be worked out.

What it was, was functional. Which is progress at this point in the season and should only grow with the potential addition of Kevin Zeitler to the starting lineup next week.

“I think it just calms down the O-line,” coach Matt LaFleur said last week of the veteran additions. “When you have veterans in there who have been through the war, certainly we’ve got young guys playing beside them, that can definitely settle things down. We’re just trying to get these guys integrated, get them up to speed, ramp them up and see what they can do.”

If wasn’t great, but it was calm – much calmer – to the benefit of Love’s health and welfare.

Loser: Packers’ Hunting License

At the risk of sounding like fictional dad from That 70s Show, Red Foreman, it’s not hunting season, but if it was, you’d think the Packers were hunting a foot.

They continue to shoot themselves in the foot regularly on offense. If it’s not their quarterback getting hit, it’s drops. If it’s not drops, it’s penalties. If it’s not penalties, they’re losing yards in goal-to-go situations.

It’s not like role players are the ones making these mistakes either. Often, it Green Bay’s stars.

Tucker Kraft dropped a would-be touchdown on Green Bay’s first scoring drive of the game. Jordan Morgan was beaten on a down block that resulted in a TFL on first-and-goal from Matthew Golden bailed them out, though, with a nifty catch on fourth-and-goal at the goal line.

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft drops a touchdown pass at Tampa Bay. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Golden would join the drop party later with a catch that was initially ruled a fumble, but instead just ended a drive on third down in the second quarter.

Christian Watson was tagged for a questionable pass interference play in the first half, but that essentially killed a drive.

Jordan Love threw what might have been a killer interception as the Packers were looking to ice the game in the fourth quarter. That came on the heels of a Kaleb Johnson fumble at the goal line.

Save for Johnson, those are all of Green Bay’s stars in their offense. They cannot continue to make these mistakes with the gauntlet that is on their schedule through the next four weeks.

Loser: WR Bo Melton

How many chances is Bo Melton going to get to make a big play down the field? There probably aren’t many with a passing game that is structured around Christian Watson, Matthew Golden and Tucker Kraft.

Melton had a chance on Green Bay’s opening possession to put the Packers in the red zone, or even score a touchdown if he could have kept his footing.

Instead, as Melton laid out on a perfectly thrown ball from Jordan Love, who was operating from a clean pocket, and dropped the ball as he fell to the turf.

It’s just one play, but just Green Bay’s offense has not proven capable of overcoming much, if any adversity throughout the course of the season. They have to make the plays that are in front of them.

Melton didn’t.

Loser: DT Devonte Wyatt

The Packers have had some rotten luck with contract extensions recently. Jayden Reed was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury that ended his season. Zach Bako-Bewele has ended each of the last two years on injured reserve.

Injuries happen, and those are plays out of each player’s control. One player who has been invisible since signing his contract extension in the summer is defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt.

Wyatt has often been more style than substance during his NFL career. There are some high-end flashes that are often met with injuries or inconsistent play.

In 2026, the injuries came to light with Wyatt exiting the game with an ankle injury. The inconsistent play has been prevalent. Wyatt entered Sunday’s game with five total tackles and zero tackles for loss.

The Packers did not have to rush to give Wyatt a contract extension this offseason, but due to the unknown that was behind him, they essentially had their hand forced.

Wyatt has yet to live up to the billing, and it’s hurting Green Bay’s defense.

The Packers win. And they lose.

Here's the early story from a 17-14 victory over the Buccaneers. ⬇️https://t.co/AHJBmtXt7o
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 4, 2026

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