Buccaneers have reached a point of ineptitude that winning one game is a challenge

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Forget playoff aspirations. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to win a game first.

The Bucs are 0-4 after a 17-14 loss to Green Bay and have a quick turnaround with a trip to Dallas for a game on Thursday night.

Even with undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels at quarterback, Tampa Bay had a chance against the Packers but couldn’t make a play when needed. There’s no time to dwell on mistakes with the Cowboys coming up.

Dak Prescott leads a prolific passing attack and offense that beat Houston 34-30. It’ll be a challenge for a team that’s struggling on offense and defense.

“We know what the problem is — it’s on us,” coach Todd Bowles said. “We can’t keep getting close and not winning, that’s not good enough. Our record says what we are, we’re 0-4, and until we acknowledge that and we correct our own mistakes, it’s going to keep happening. We talked about it as a team, we’re going to be a team, and we play gotta play tough around the end, we gotta execute then, and that’s the only way you can win the ball game.”

The Bucs have lost 11 of 13 games since a 6-2 start last season. They had won four straight division titles before finishing 8-9 and losing a three-way tiebreaker to Carolina in a weak NFC South.

The rest of the teams in the division have improved while the Bucs have regressed this season.

“No one is coming to save us,” two-time All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs said. “We aren’t going to magically get a superhero in here. We can’t snap our fingers and be 4-0. We can’t snap our fingers and be 2-2. We are 0-4. It’s the guys in this locker room that are going to get us out of it.”

Only the 1992 Chargers overcame an 0-4 start and made the playoffs. These Bucs are more likely to make a push for the No. 1 overall draft pick than get back into playoff contention.

“Coach Bowles can tell us all he wants, but at the end of the day we’re the players getting on the field,” cornerback Jacob Parrish said. “Coach Bowles is putting us in the position; we just have to go make the plays. It is one day at a time, and we have got to find an edge in our details, so that is what we are going to focus on this week.”

The defense created turnovers in the fourth quarter to keep the game within reach. Safety Tykee Smith forced a fumble inside the 5. Parrish made an excellent read to pick Jordan Love inside the red zone.

Everything. The pass rush put no pressure on Love, who took 31 hits in the first three games. He was only touched twice and didn’t get sacked.

Daniels. Despite two interceptions that led to 10 points, he wasn’t overwhelmed in his first career start. Daniels saw 10 quarterbacks drafted ahead of him and had to sign as a free agent. But he was the first in his draft class to start and was a play or two away from winning.

“I was seeing everything right, (saw) everything that they were doing and was able to come back to the sideline and able to communicate that with the rest of the team and my coaching staff,” he said. “They get paid to go out there and make plays, too, and they made a few plays.”

Emeka Egbuka, a first-round pick in 2025, had just two catches for 13 yards and one drop. He has only 15 receptions for 154 yards and one TD.

Edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. (groin), CB Benjamin Morrison (quadriceps), TE Ko Kieft (elbow) didn’t play against Green Bay. ... S Antoine Winfield Jr. hurt his abdomen and a rib late in the fourth quarter. ... LB SirVocea Dennis injured his ankle.

100%: The Bucs allowed the Packers to go 3 for 3 on fourth down. All three were on a series that ended with a fourth down TD pass.

After three straight home losses, the Buccaneers are on the road against Dallas (2-2) before returning home to play Pittsburgh (2-2) on Oct. 18. They play their first division game at Carolina on Oct. 25.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenny Gainwell (1) is tackles by Green Bay Packers linebacker Isaiah McDuffie (58) and safety Javon Bullard (7) during the second half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jalon Daniels (10) runs with the ball during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenny Gainwell (1) dives to score a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

TROY, Ohio (AP) — Former ‘American Idol’ contestant Caleb Flynn is sentenced to life in prison for wife’s murder.

THIS IS AN APNewsAlert. Check back for updates. AP's earlier story is below.

A former music pastor in Ohio who appeared briefly on “American Idol” was set to be sentenced Monday after a jury convicted him of murdering his wife while he was having an affair.

Prosecutors said Caleb Flynn, 40, staged a home invasion in February after shooting his wife, Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old schoolteacher and volleyball coach. Flynn claimed she was killed by a burglar at their house in Tipp City, a suburb north of Dayton.

He sent a text message to his lover the night before the shooting, saying, “I choose you. I’m free. Actions will come tomorrow,” prosecutors said.

Flynn faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole after the jury found him guilty last week of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.

Flynn appeared briefly on “American Idol” in 2013, telling TV viewers about how his wife had encouraged him to chase his dreams on the singing competition. He sang before judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Nicki Minaj but did not advance to the main competition in Hollywood.

During closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors that Flynn wanted out of his marriage when he shot his wife. The couple’s two daughters were home with their father when police arrived.

During the trial, Alleigha Botner testified she met Flynn in 2022 while she was a 20-year-old intern at his church and had an affair with him for more than a year. She told jurors that Flynn said he hated his wife and had thoughts of killing her.

Jurors also heard AI-generated love songs that prosecutors said he made for Botner. Flynn didn’t testify on his own behalf, nor did anybody else.

The gun used to kill Ashley Flynn was not found at the scene, and his attorney told jurors that investigators found no evidence that Caleb Flynn fired a gun that day. Prosecutors said his fingerprints and DNA were at the scene and that his devices showed him moving around the house, even though he claimed he was asleep at the time of the shooting.

This image taken from pool court video shows 40-year-old Caleb Flynn listening to the judge reading out the jury's verdict at the Miami County Court of Common Pleas on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Troy, Ohio. (Pool via AP)

Caleb Flynn listens to court proceedings inside the Miami County Court of Common Pleas on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, in Troy, Ohio. (AP Photo, Pool)