The Steelers’ Week 6 outlook against Tampa Bay got a lot cleaner on October 15, and it starts with the quarterback situation. Baker Mayfield was not practicing, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, which makes undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels the expected starter against Pittsburgh.
Daniels has already filled in as the Buccaneers’ starter in each of their last two games while Mayfield has worked through a dislocated thumb he suffered in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. Tampa Bay did beat the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football in Week 5, but Daniels still gives the Steelers a much friendlier quarterback matchup than Mayfield would have.
So far, Daniels has completed 38 of 55 passes for 337 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. His first start was rough in a 17-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers, when he went 19-of-27 for 148 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He looked steadier against Dallas, finishing 19 of 25 for 185 yards, a touchdown and no picks.
He has also brought some juice as a runner. Daniels ran for 55 yards on eight carries against Green Bay and added 23 yards on seven attempts against the Cowboys.
The throwing profile matters here, too. Daniels has not been pushing the ball downfield much, with an average depth of target of 6.2, according to Pro Football Focus.
That could play into Pittsburgh’s hands, even if the Buccaneers’ offensive line has done a solid job in pass protection with an allowed pressure rate of 37.6 percent, per SumerSports. The Steelers can’t let him settle in and carve them up in the short and intermediate game the way he did against Dallas.
Daniels has shown he can win at this level, but Pittsburgh’s defense is a different challenge than Dallas. The Steelers are the sturdier team, and the Buccaneers’ 1-4 record doesn’t fully capture how competitive they’ve been.
It won’t be effortless on the road, and Tampa Bay does have momentum from its Week 5 win. Even so, Pittsburgh should have an edge on defense against Daniels and enough opportunity on offense against a Buccaneers defense that has been strong to this point.
If the Steelers are going to be taken seriously as an AFC playoff contender, games like this are the ones they need to win.
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Steelers Trade Deadline Search Puts One Roster Need In The Spotlight
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The fit, though, is far from simple. Some of the names come with obvious hurdles, whether it is the challenge of prying a player loose from another roster or the uncertainty around how realistic any deal actually is, and the Steelers also have to weigh how much they want to chase help at a spot that has become such an obvious need. As the deadline gets closer, Pittsburgh appears to be testing the market while knowing the most intriguing options may be the hardest ones to land. [Read more 🡒]