The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got pushed to overtime and came away with a 26-19 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game that had plenty of swings across the roster. Some groups held up.
Others unraveled. And a few players stood out in the middle of the mess.
The roughest night belonged to Jalon Daniels, who never found a rhythm as the Steelers kept him off balance. He finished 22 of 43 for 164 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, and added 39 rushing yards.
He was also taken down five times. The numbers tell part of the story, but the late misses to open receivers such as Emeka Egbuka and Bucky Irving were just as costly.
The backfield didn’t provide much help either. After his strong outing against the Dallas Cowboys, Bucky Irving came back down to earth and finished with 21 touches for 49 yards and no touchdowns. Kenny Gainwell managed only three touches for 24 yards, while second-year back Josh Williams never got a chance to get involved.
At receiver, Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin were heavily featured, combining for 24 targets. That volume turned into 11 catches, 85 yards and the lone touchdown from Egbuka. Ted Hurst added three catches for 40 yards, but the group also had issues holding onto the ball, with Egbuka, Godwin and Tez Johnson all charged with at least one drop.
Up front, the Buccaneers’ offensive line spent most of the day on the back foot. The Steelers brought heat constantly, which made pass protection a nightmare, and Tampa Bay also struggled to create any push in the run game.
There were bright spots on defense, starting with David Walker, who was all over the field. He piled up seven total tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.
A'Shawn Robinson also turned in a wild moment by collecting his second interception of the season, with Rueben Bain Jr. forcing the play by getting his first sack of the season and tipping the pass into Robinson’s hands. Yaya Diaby and Al-Quadin Muhammad chipped in as well.
Josiah Trotter was another defender who popped, leading the team with 12 total tackles and adding a pass deflection that should’ve been a pick-six. Christian Rozeboom also made his presence felt with a strong pass breakup and clearly helped his case for more snaps. Alex Anzalone, though, had a tougher night, missing multiple tackles and becoming a liability late.
In the secondary, Zyon McCollum led the way with 11 tackles and a pass deflection. Keionte Scott may have been the standout of the group, finishing with eight tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. Jacob Parrish stayed steady as well, posting six tackles, one tackle for loss and two passes deflected.
Special teams brought both the best and worst of the evening. Chase McLaughlin was perfect and kept Tampa Bay alive heading into overtime, while Riley Dixon struggled badly. The wind was there, but McLaughlin handled it just fine, and Dixon’s performance leaves the Buccaneers still searching for an answer at punter.
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 🡒]