The Steelers are walking into Sunday’s matchup in Tampa Bay with a lot more relief than they had a day earlier.
Pittsburgh, coming off a 34-22 win over the Indianapolis Colts, heads to face a Buccaneers team sitting at 1-4, and the stakes are straightforward enough: the Steelers are 3-2 and trying to stay within striking distance of the division-leading Baltimore Ravens. Before kickoff, though, they got encouraging updates on two of Aaron Rodgers’ most important pass-catching options.
DK Metcalf was cleared after dealing with an illness, and Pat Freiermuth is also expected to play after a late calf concern surfaced Saturday. That matters more than usual for a Steelers offense that is already short on bodies at receiver and tight end.
Metcalf has put up 19 catches for 225 yards and a touchdown through five games. Freiermuth has matched him with 19 receptions, adding 169 yards and four touchdowns.
Metcalf’s season has been relatively quiet by his standards, while Freiermuth has become Rodgers’ preferred red-zone target. Even so, getting both on the field gives Pittsburgh a much better look.
The injury picture around them is still messy. Roman Wilson is on injured reserve with a finger injury, Ben Skowronek is out with a calf injury, and Michael Pittman Jr. is also on IR with a foot injury. That has left the Steelers thin enough that rookie Germie Bernard was already positioned for a bigger role.
Bernard should still be in the mix after what he did last week. He drew nine targets against Indianapolis, caught six of them and finished with 80 yards.
For Rodgers, that setup gives him two trusted veterans and an ascending rookie to work with, while also helping keep defenses from loading up on Jaylen Warren. Warren has had an explosive start to the season, and if Tampa Bay can’t key in on him too heavily, Pittsburgh has a chance to keep its offense balanced.
The schedule doesn’t get any softer after this one. The Steelers go from Tampa to Paris for a meeting with the Saints, then come back into divisional games against the Browns and Bengals.
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 🡒]