The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are out of the winless hole, but there’s no time to linger on that Thursday Night Football victory over the Dallas Cowboys. At 1-4, they still have plenty of ground to make up, and Week 6 brings a Pittsburgh Steelers team that’s sitting at 3-2 after a playoff season last year.
What swung Tampa Bay’s win last week was not hard to spot. The defense did its job against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, and Jalon Daniels kept things tidy in the pocket. But the real engine was Bucky Irving, who turned in his best outing of the season and maybe the best of his career.
Irving ran for 165 yards on 21 carries and found the end zone twice, giving the Buccaneers’ offense the jolt it needed to take control of the game. It was the kind of performance that let Tampa Bay cruise, and it’s the blueprint the Bucs will need again on Sunday if they want to beat Pittsburgh.
That means Irving has to be the guy once more. Against the Steelers, Tampa Bay needs him to set the tone, help control the pace, and take some heat off the quarterback by slowing down the pass rush. If he can keep the offense on schedule, Daniels should be able to settle in the way he did against Dallas.
There’s also a bigger point here for Irving. He showed in the win over the Cowboys just how dangerous he can be as a slashing, all-purpose back and as a true feature option. But the next step is doing it every week.
His 2025 season was interrupted by injuries, and there were other factors that dragged down his production. Still, if Irving is going to establish himself as an elite NFL player, he has to push through that kind of noise and deliver at a high level consistently. The Buccaneers will be counting on that version of him again this week.
In Other News...
Bucs Inactive List Creates One Big Problem Against Pittsburgh
The Buccaneers arrived for Week 6 already thin in a few key spots, and their inactive list only sharpened the edge of the matchup with Pittsburgh. Baker Mayfield and Antoine Winfield Jr. are both out with multi-week injuries, which keeps Tampa Bay without its starting quarterback and one of its most important defenders as it tries to navigate another difficult week.
Easton Stick is back as the backup quarterback for the third straight game, while the backfield got another shake-up with Sean Tucker inactive and Josh Williams elevated for the game. The Steelers brought their own list of absences into the afternoon as well, including receivers Ben Skowronek and Roman Wilson, while cornerback Jamel Dean was active and Sean Murphy-Bunting was not, leaving both sides to work around some familiar lineup uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Face A Brutal Test If Two Problems Don't Improve
Bucky Irving gave Tampa Bay exactly the kind of spark it needed last week, piling up a career-high 165 rushing yards and adding a rushing-plus-receiving touchdown against Dallas. If the Buccaneers are going to keep up that momentum against Pittsburgh, they may need Irving to stay central to the plan while the offense also gets quarterback Jalon Daniels into a cleaner early rhythm.
The matchup gets even trickier if Tampa Bay cannot tighten up two areas that have been lagging. The Bucs have had trouble getting after the quarterback, with only six sacks in five games, and they are still waiting for a first-career sack from Rueben Bain Jr., while also having to deal with Steelers back Jaylen Warren and the usual turnover battle that can swing a close game fast. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Goedeke Is Becoming A Bucs Strength Where Fans Once Worried
Luke Goedeke has gone from an early source of concern to one of the more dependable pieces on Tampa Bays offensive line. After beginning his career with the Buccaneers at left guard and running into real growing pains, he found a better fit at right tackle and has settled in as a steady pass protector beside Tristan Wirfs.
The result has been a far more secure edge for the Bucs than many fans expected when Goedeke first arrived. His consistency has given Tampa Bay a valuable presence on the line and a reminder that development in the NFL is not always linear, especially for linemen who need the right position and the right role to show what they can do. [Read more 🡒]