The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to face the Buccaneers without Baker Mayfield, who will miss another week after suffering a dislocated thumb. Mayfield is aiming for a Week 7 return, but the start against Pittsburgh will go to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, who is in line for his third straight start.
Daniels has already put together a notable opening stretch. Through the season so far, he has thrown for 337 yards with two passing touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 69.1 percent of his attempts. He also picked up his first career win as an NFL starter last week, helping the Buccaneers beat the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football.
Pittsburgh has spent the week getting ready for Daniels rather than Mayfield, who has not practiced as he continues physical therapy to improve his grip on the football. That shift changes the challenge for the Steelers, with Daniels’ mobility and ability to extend plays now front and center.
“We have to be disciplined in our rush lanes,” outside linebacker Alex Highsmith said. “Up front, we can’t rush scared.
We have to rush like we always rush, but we have to trace back to the quarterback and not give him lanes to escape. He’s dynamic and has a really good arm, so we have to be ready.”
Daniels has benefited from favorable game flow so far, particularly when the running game has been working. He has also had some help up front, with the Buccaneers offensive line allowing the third-lowest pressure rate of the week. On his dropbacks, the rookie from Kansas was pressured on just 29.3 percent of the time.
For the Steelers, the formula is straightforward: keep Daniels contained, force him into tough spots, and prevent him from turning mobility into another problem.
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