The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need as many players as possible to step up. 

The Bucs are 0-3, and their season is hanging by a thread. With a tough matchup against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Tampa is at risk of falling into an even deeper hole. 

The Packers are a disappointing 1-2. Expect them to come into the game with a sense of urgency and desperation. If the Bucs don’t step up their own game, things will somehow get even worse. 

Making the task even more difficult is quarterback Baker Mayfield’s dislocated thumb, which is expected to keep him out for at least the next three games. Tampa is now putting its season in the hands of undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, who will be making his first NFL start. 

What should the Bucs expect from the rookie? Daniels is being thrown into the fire much sooner than anyone in the organization expected. He will need everyone around him on offense to elevate their performance to take some of the burden off the 23-year-old’s shoulders. 

One player Daniels will be relying on is a fellow rookie, wide receiver Ted Hurst. 

Like Daniels, Hurst is also being counted on to produce earlier than expected. An injury suffered by WR3 Jalen McMillan paved the way for Hurst to start the season with a larger role than anticipated. McMillan aggravated his knee injury in Week 3 and is now out for 6-8 weeks, giving Hurst a huge opportunity to shine over the next couple of months. 

Hurst is big, fast, and talented enough to be an impact player for the offense. Head coach Todd Bowles recently predicted a breakout game in the near future for the Georgia State product. 

This Sunday’s contest against Green Bay would be a terrific time for Hurst to prove his coach right. 

Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson spoke with the media on Thursday and was asked about Hurst being more involved in the offense. He acknowledged Hurst's ability to get open and that the Bucs must find a way to get the ball in his hands when he is.

Robinson spoke about Hurst's 40-yard touchdown last week, the first of his career, and the importance of the play with the Bucs trailing 10-0. He wants to keep Hurst rolling, but stressed that coverage will dictate where the ball goes. However, when Hurst is open, Robinson wants the ball to find its way into his hands.

"Yeah, I think similar to the rest of the skill guys, coverage can dictate where some things go at certain times. He definitely had some opportunities to possibly get a few more touches, and the ball didn't find him last week for one reason or another. But yeah, we've got to keep Ted rolling. He's done a great job, man. I can't say enough good things about him. It was great to see his first touchdown on that – it was a big play. Obviously, we're down 10-0 [and] we needed a spark. It was great protection, great job by 'Bake' (Baker Mayfield) spotting him, and he ran a great route to finish it off. So, I've got to find ways, really, for all these guys. We've got a unique skill group [where] the ball can [be] dished around. So, it might be a game where somebody gets hot [and] they get a [few] more touches, but Ted has been doing a great job. He's separating, he's open, and we've definitely got to find him when he is."

Tampa didn't expect Hurst to have much of a role as a rookie when he was drafted, believing the team had enough weapons in the passing game that he could spend his first season mostly watching and learning for the future.

Hurst's impressive play in camp, combined with McMillan's injury, has given him the opportunity to be a difference maker now.

Now Tampa needs the rookie's big-play ability in the worst way, especially with an undrafted rookie QB leading the offense.

The Packers just got torched 35-14 by an Atlanta Falcons team that looked like the NFL's worst team over the first two weeks, so maybe the Bucs are catching them at the right time.

If Hurst can have a breakout game, Tampa has a chance at securing its much-needed first win of the season.