The Bucs found a new low Sunday in Tampa, and they did it in the most painful way possible: by coughing up a 13-point fourth-quarter lead at home and losing 26-19 in overtime to a Steelers team led by a quarterback about to turn 43.
For three quarters, Tampa Bay looked like it had finally steadied itself. The defense flashed signs of life, the offense stayed mostly out of trouble, and the Bucs carried control into the fourth.
Then everything unraveled. Pittsburgh ripped off three straight scoring drives to tie the game, and Jalon Daniels made the kind of mistake that flips an afternoon on its head, firing an interception straight to former Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean.
Dean sprinted 40 yards to the Tampa Bay 3, setting up a short Steelers field goal that made it 19-16 with 1:21 left.
Daniels did manage to give Tampa Bay one last shot. He guided a 30-yard drive in the final minute, and Chase McLaughlin drilled a 53-yard field goal with eight seconds left to send the game to overtime. But the Steelers took the opening drive of the extra period, and Aaron Rodgers finished it off with a nearly seven-minute, 70-yard march for the win.
The loss won’t sit on Daniels alone. The defense had enough chances to shut the door and couldn’t do it, even after Pittsburgh’s late surge. Still, the rookie’s final-minute interception was the kind of backbreaking play that leaves no easy way out.
There were a few bright spots buried inside the wreckage. David Walker made a crucial play in the final two minutes, a reminder that his snap count hasn’t matched his production.
He’s barely seen the field in the first two games and is currently listed No. 3 on the depth chart at outside linebacker, yet he leads the team in sacks. The Bucs could probably stand to get him more work.
First-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. also flashed in the second quarter, coming around the left end on third and 16 to sack Rodgers for his first NFL sack. After a quiet opening month, it was exactly the kind of moment Tampa Bay wanted to see.
And rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter keeps showing up everywhere. He flies sideline to sideline, and his speed and range have already started to bring Lavonte David to mind, even if it’s still early for that comparison. He’s just fun to watch.
The bigger picture gets messy fast. The NFC South is turning into a demolition derby, and Carolina is the only team in the division with a winning record at 3-2 after beating the Eagles on Sunday.
The calendar might say it’s early, but the Bucs’ 1-5 start makes the road forward pretty clear. They aren’t likely to be in the wild-card mix.
If there’s a path left, it runs through the division.
That makes next week’s trip to Carolina feel awfully important, even if no one wants to say it out loud. It’s Tampa Bay’s first division game of the season, and against the team sitting in first, it looks like the kind of game the Bucs can’t afford to let slip away.
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 🡒]