Something has to break Sunday when the 1-4 Bucs welcome the 3-2 Steelers to Raymond James Stadium.
Tampa Bay is still looking for its first home win of the season and hasn’t stacked back-to-back victories since this time last year. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has been unable to win on the road in 2026, sitting 0-2 away from home and alternating wins and losses through its first five games. One of those trends is going to end in Week 6.
The Bucs are also still hanging around in the NFC South picture. They’re a game and a half behind division-leading Carolina entering the weekend, and they haven’t played a divisional game yet.
There’s even a path that sends Tampa Bay into next week with a chance to move into first place in Charlotte, though that depends on the Bucs beating Pittsburgh and the Panthers losing to Philadelphia. The Falcons and Saints could shape the picture too, but for Tampa Bay the math starts with Sunday.
For now, the focus is on that second straight win after last week’s primetime victory over the Cowboys. Beyond that, there are a handful of milestones and record chases waiting in Tampa.
Bucs history was already getting rewritten in the win over Dallas. Jalon Daniels added to it, the offense put together its longest drive by time since 2007 at 10:58, and Bucky Irving crossed the 2,000-yard rushing mark for his career. Irving became the 13th player in franchise history to reach that number, and he got there in the fourth-fewest games by a Buc, trailing only Doug Martin (25), Cadillac Williams (29) and Errict Rhett (29).
Todd Bowles and Jason Licht also added to their own resumes. Bowles picked up his 37th win as Tampa Bay’s head coach in the regular season and playoffs combined, moving ahead of Bruce Arians (36) into fourth place in team history. Licht reached his 100th win as the team’s general manager, the first GM in franchise history to hit that mark.
Now the record watch turns to Week 6.
If Daniels can guide Tampa Bay past Pittsburgh, he would become the first undrafted rookie quarterback since Warren Moon (1984) and the third ever to beat the Steelers as a starter. A win would also make him the first undrafted rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to win consecutive starts.
Irving has a couple of milestones in play as well. He needs eight catches to reach 100 for his career.
And if he rips off 150 rushing yards against the Steelers, he would become the first player in franchise history with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games and the first in the NFL to do it since Rico Dowdle, then with the Panthers and now with the Steelers, in October of last year. Another 150-yard, two-touchdown outing would make Irving the first player to post those numbers in consecutive games since Derrick Henry in 2024.
Chris Godwin Jr. is closing in on several markers too. He needs 103 scrimmage yards to get past 8,000 for his career, which would put him alongside Mike Evans (13,062) and James Wilder (9,449) as the only Buccaneers to do it in Tampa Bay.
Godwin is also four touchdowns away from moving past Wilder (46) for third place in franchise history for touchdowns from scrimmage, and nine points shy of passing Wilder (276) for the 10th-most points in team history. Sunday will be his 126th game with the Bucs, tying him with Cameron Brate for 16th place on the franchise games list.
Cade Otton is one touchdown catch away from climbing past Calvin Magee and Alex Smith (11) for the seventh-most receiving touchdowns by a tight end in Bucs history and tying for sixth.
Vita Vea is still 4.5 sacks away from passing David Logan (39.0) for seventh in team history. Sunday will also be his 118th game with Tampa Bay, tying him with Randy Grimes for 25th in franchise appearances.
Anthony Nelson is set to play in his 113th game with the team, which would move him into a tie with Mark Cotney and James Wilder for 29th in Buccaneers history.
Josiah Trotter can keep pushing his early-career tackle pace with five stops against the Steelers. That would move him past Lavonte David’s 41 from 2012 and Kendell Beckwith’s 41 from 2017 for the most by a Buccaneer through five career games since at least 2000. He’s 13 tackles from moving past Jerrell Freeman and Devin Lloyd, who each had 49 through five games, and 14 from getting by Patrick Willis’ 50 in 2007 for third on that list.
Zyon McCollum needs just three passes defensed to move past Brent Grimes (41) for 10th in team history and draw even with John Lynch (42) for ninth.
And Chase McLaughlin has a few markers in reach too. He needs 14 field goals to pass Connor Barth (114) for third most in Buccaneers history, one point to move past Mike Alstott (492) for fifth in team scoring, and one more field goal from 50 yards or longer to pass Graham Gano (46) for 10th all-time in the NFL. With four more from that range, he’d move past Greg Zuerlein (49) for ninth.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Suddenly Face New Depth Concerns Ahead Of Steelers Game
The Buccaneers had to lean on their practice squad for some late-week reinforcement before facing the Steelers, elevating quarterback Easton Stick and running back Josh Williams for Week 6. It is the kind of roster shuffle that usually signals more than just routine depth, especially for a team still trying to navigate the ripple effects of Baker Mayfields dislocated thumb and the uncertainty that comes with reshuffling the depth chart on short notice.
Stick gives Tampa Bay another arm behind rookie Jalon Daniels, while Williams adds insurance in the backfield as the Bucs wait to see how Sean Tucker responds to a quad injury. For a team heading into a tough matchup, those moves underscore how quickly one injury can turn into a broader depth test, with the next layer of questions still hanging over Sundays lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Face A Steelers Threat Tampa Bay Fans Should Note
Curt Popejoy of Steelers Wire made it clear that Pittsburghs offensive identity is still very much a work in progress with Aaron Rodgers in the mix, and that makes Sundays matchup worth a closer look for Buccaneers fans. From Tampa Bays side, the biggest concern remains how the run game holds up behind Bucky Irving, because if the Steelers can control those early downs, it can change the whole shape of the afternoon.
Popejoy also pointed to one of the more interesting wrinkles in this meeting: special teams coordinator Danny Smith is now on Tampa Bays sideline after leaving Pittsburgh. His departure has become part of the conversation around the Steelers underwhelming special teams, and it adds another layer to a game that already has a few key matchups to watch. Popejoy leaned toward Pittsburgh in his final score prediction, so the Bucs will need cleaner execution in a hurry if they want to keep that forecast from coming true. [Read more 🡒]
Rueben Bain Jr. Addresses The Slow Start Buccaneers Fans Are Watching
Rueben Bain Jr. finally offered a little public perspective on the start Buccaneers fans have been watching, and it sounded like a young pass rusher trying to stay steady through the early bumps. The first-round pick has dealt with a slow opening stretch, spending time out of the lineup while working through shoulder and groin injuries, and his early production has been limited as he gets back into rhythm.
Even so, Bain said he feels optimistic about where things are heading and was encouraged to be part of Tampa Bays first win of the season. For a defense that counted on him to bring energy off the edge, the bigger picture remains the same: the Bucs need the version of Bain they envisioned when they made him a premium pick, and hes still trying to get there on his own timeline. [Read more 🡒]