Bucs quarterback Jalon Daniels found a nice groove during last Thursday night’s game against the Cowboys. Daniels controlled the game’s tempo, guiding Tampa Bay’s offense to a 24-16 win, but how did he do it?

The QB School’s JT O’Sullivan discussed the rookie’s performance in a 30-minute film breakdown on his YouTube channel.

Jalon Daniels Had Several Key Moments On Bucs’ First Offensive Drive

JT O’Sullivan’s breakdown of Jalon Daniels’ tape began in the first quarter on the game’s first third down. On third-and-4, nothing was open at the top of the route. Rather than forcing anything, Daniels saw the pocket collapsing, moved right to extend the play, and picked up the first down with a 5-yard scramble. Displaying his situational awareness, he understood where the first-down marker was, fought up field, and took a hit from Cowboys linebacker Dee Winters to get there.

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

That was one of several times when the rookie quarterback made something happen with his legs, which was crucial to begin the game. Daniels found tight end Cade Otton on an inside crossing route for a 10-yard gain on the following play. Some zip had to be put on the ball to get it to Otton, and O’Sullivan commended offensive coordinator Zac Robinson for the play design.

The first drive was a long one, taking up nearly 11 minutes of clock. The Bucs were fortunate to get a couple of Cowboys penalties to extend it, but it also took converting several third downs to find the end zone.

On another third-and-4 from Dallas’ 15-yard line, Daniels faced double A-gap pressure and made a pass protection adjustment to bring running back Kenny Gainwell closer to the line of scrimmage. He then found wide receiver Emeka Egbuka with a laser in the right flat for a 6-yard gain to move the chains. It was a perfectly constructed play with wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. creating “banjo” leverage lined up next to Egbuka as he had enough separation to haul it in.

Capping off the drive, Daniels found running back Bucky Irving for a 5-yard touchdown.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

That end result came from a mesh passing concept near the goal line, with Irving pulling to the right flat and it turned into a footrace to the pylon. The pre-snap motion put stress on the backend of Dallas’ defense, allowing for something to open up. O’Sullivan credited this for being the perfect play-call to enhance the stress.

What Else Could Be Observed Analyzing Jalon Daniels’ Second NFL Start?

It was not a perfect operation from the Bucs’ offense, but the concepts and innovation was noticeably improved from the first few games of the season. Jalon Daniels found ways to exploit the Cowboys’ defense, including on the biggest passing play of the night.

Daniels connected with wide receiver Tez Johnson on a 64-yard play. From a quarterback’s perspective, JT O’Sullivan praised the young signal-caller for seeing Cowboys cornerback Daron Bland tripping and falling trailing Johnson which allowed him to be wide-open down the right sideline.

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Daniels kept open vision on the play, especially as Cade Otton was also open down the left side of the field after putting a double move on a defender. Instead, he saw Johnson and put it on him for a massive chunk play.

At this point, Tampa Bay was beating Dallas 21-10 and again had the ball, faced with a third-and-21 situation. Daniels surprisingly converted this third-and-forever scenario, finding Emeka Egbuka on the left side of the field. It was a deeper curl route by Egbuka, who was aided by the defender behind him slipping. It was put right on No. 2 with great arm strength, and while the drive would stall out, this was a key play getting them in field goal range and making it a 24-10 game.

Moving to the fourth quarter, Daniels once again used his legs and improvising skills to get a first down on third-and-4. The play was muddy and not developing, so recognizing it and seeing a lane to accelerate resulted in a 9-yard scramble. The drive would end with running back Sean Tucker getting stopped at the 1-yard line, but converting this play allowed the Bucs’ offense to take another five minutes off the clock.

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

While easy to point to all the positives, O’Sullivan also noted the negatives that can be improved on. Expecting perfection from a quarterback making his second NFL start isn’t realistic, but Daniels has room to improve in his decision-making.

The only really bad play from him came late in the game on third-and-8 with less than four minutes left. Dallas made it 24-16, but they could have made it a tie game if things shook out a little differently.

Daniels tried to place a throw on Egbuka that was behind him, with Bland cutting on the ball and dropping what would have been a pick-six the other way. He was fortunate that ball was dropped, as that was a turnover-worthy play that must be avoided given the situation.

Overall, Jalon Daniels pulled off a big win on the road.

He was a catalyst for the Bucs’ offense, providing the best quarterback play the team has had all season. Daniels finished the game completing 19-of-25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, adding 23 yards rushing on the ground.

JT O’Sullivan’s complete film breakdown is worth the full watch, especially as he also provides some bonus content analyzing Bucky Irving’s rushing performance. Watch the full video below on The QB School YouTube channel.