The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have plenty of reasons to be frustrated following Sunday's 26-19 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. After watching a 13-point fourth-quarter lead disappear, Tampa Bay fell to 1-5 and now faces an uphill battle to get its season back on track. However, rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels isn't allowing another disappointing result to change the team's approach.

According to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, Daniels emphasized following Sunday's loss that the team intends to maintain its confidence and energy as it prepares for its first NFC South matchup of the season against the Carolina Panthers.

"This doesn't affect our confidence; it doesn't affect our energy," Daniels said. "We're going to come in tomorrow with the same energy and confidence, because at the end of the day, we know how it feels to win a football game."

Those comments come after a difficult afternoon for Daniels, who completed 22 of 43 passes for 164 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against Pittsburgh. The undrafted rookie showed flashes of his ability to extend plays with his legs, but inconsistent accuracy and costly turnovers contributed to Tampa Bay's inability to protect its lead.

Daniels has now started three consecutive games in place of Baker Mayfield, who has been sidelined with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand. Tampa Bay is 1-2 over that stretch, with its lone victory coming against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5. Despite the results, Daniels believes the experience has demonstrated that he belongs in the NFL.

"For me, I believe that I've proved [to] myself that I'm able to play at this level," Daniels said.

The Buccaneers may soon have another decision to make at quarterback. Head coach Todd Bowles indicated that Wednesday's practice would provide a better indication of whether Mayfield could return against Carolina. Until then, Daniels remains an option as Tampa Bay prepares for an important divisional matchup.

Daniels and his teammates may still have confidence in their ability to turn things around, but Sunday's performance showed why belief alone isn't enough. Tampa Bay struggled to protect its quarterback, sustain drives and capitalize on opportunities, all of which contributed to another loss. The Buccaneers finished with just 224 total yards, converted six of 19 third downs and allowed five sacks.

The Panthers present an opportunity for Tampa Bay to begin correcting those problems, but another loss would make an already difficult season even harder to recover. Daniels has shown he can compete at the NFL level, but the Buccaneers need more consistent execution across the offense if they hope to turn their season around.