The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had this one in hand, and then they didn’t.
What looked like a comfortable afternoon at Raymond James Stadium turned into a crushing 26-19 overtime loss on Sunday, October 18, 2026, as the Pittsburgh Steelers ripped off a furious finish to hand Tampa Bay another gut punch and drop the Bucs to 1-5. Tampa Bay led 16-3 midway through the second half before Pittsburgh took over, outscoring the home team 23-3 from that point through overtime.
Aaron Rodgers led the comeback, throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He leaned heavily on DK Metcalf, who caught 11 passes for 93 yards, and Germie Bernard, who matched him with 11 receptions for 87 yards. Once the Steelers found their rhythm, Tampa Bay never fully regained control.
The game’s wildest stretch came in the final two minutes of regulation, when the lead changed hands in rapid-fire fashion. Chris Boswell tied it at 16-16 with a 58-yard field goal with 1:55 left. Then former Buccaneers defensive back Jamel Dean stepped in front of Jalon Daniels and returned an interception to the three-yard line, setting up Boswell for a 20-yard field goal that put Pittsburgh ahead 19-16 with 1:21 remaining.
Even then, Tampa Bay wasn’t done.
Daniels found Ted Hurst III on multiple big completions to push the Buccaneers into range, and Chase McLaughlin answered with a 53-yard field goal with eight seconds left to force overtime at 19-19.
Once the extra period started, Pittsburgh took the steering wheel and never let go. The Steelers won the coin toss and put together a 12-play, 70-yard march that took 6:45 off the clock. Rodgers capped it with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Bernard for the go-ahead score.
Tampa Bay got one last crack, but the Steelers’ pass rush shut the door. Pittsburgh finished with five sacks and two interceptions against Daniels, and Jalen Ramsey ended the afternoon by sacking Daniels on fourth down to seal the turnover on downs.
The Steelers improve to 4-2 and head to France next weekend to face the New Orleans Saints on October 25. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, are left with their fourth straight home loss and a quick turnaround on the road against the Carolina Panthers.
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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 🡒]