The Steelers vs Buccaneers Week 6 matchup sends Pittsburgh (3-2) on the road to face Tampa Bay (1-4) on Sunday, Oct. 18, at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on CBS. The biggest question entering the game is whether Tampa Bay’s undrafted rookie quarterback, Jalon Daniels, can build on his first career win against a Pittsburgh defense that has struggled away from Heinz Field.
Steelers Vs Buccaneers Game Information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Venue: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- TV: CBS
- Weather: 78 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation
Can Jalon Daniels Keep Tampa Bay’s Turnaround Going?
Daniels made his first career start count. He went 19 of 25 for 189 yards and a touchdown in Tampa Bay’s 24-16 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football last week, snapping a four-game losing streak to start the season, according to Yahoo Sports. He is filling in for Baker Mayfield, who is listed as doubtful with a dislocated right thumb, according to the official injury report.
Daniels credited a simple approach for his efficient debut. “Trusting my eyes, trusting what the defense was giving me and taking No. 1 or No. 2 in the progression, and if you see a hole, and it’s a gaping, wide-open hole, probably take it because, at the end of the day, you’re trying to move the sticks,” Daniels said, according to CBS Sports. Tampa Bay also leaned on its ground game against Dallas, rushing for 241 yards, including 165 from Bucky Irving. Irving is Tampa Bay’s leading rusher on the season with 406 yards and two touchdowns on 77 carries.
What Does Aaron Rodgers’ Hot Streak Mean For Pittsburgh?
Aaron Rodgers, 42, has thrown three touchdown passes in three consecutive games, the first Steelers quarterback to do that since Terry Bradshaw in 1982, per CBS Sports. He completed his first 11 passes against Indianapolis last week and finished 22 of 31 for 235 yards and three touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s 34-22 win. For the season, Rodgers is 110 of 184 for 1,234 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Rodgers’ history at Raymond James Stadium is mixed. He is 2-3 there for his career and has thrown two of his six career three-interception games in that building. He is 1-2 against defenses coordinated by Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay’s head coach, including a loss in the 2020 NFC Championship Game, and 3-4 versus the Buccaneers overall including the playoffs.
How Do The Projected Starters And Injuries Shape The Game?
Tampa Bay is expected to be without two key defensive pieces. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is doubtful with fractured ribs, and cornerback Benjamin Morrison is questionable with a quadriceps injury, according to the official injury report. Cornerback Ayden Garnes is also questionable with an ankle injury, and running back Sean Tucker is questionable with a quadriceps issue.
Pittsburgh is dealing with its own injury questions along the defensive line and secondary. Cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Jalen Ramsey are both listed as questionable, with Ramsey managing a wrist fracture, and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton is questionable with an ankle injury. At receiver, Pittsburgh is already down two options after wideouts Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek were ruled out through Oct. 25 following injuries suffered against Indianapolis, with Michael Pittman Jr. previously placed on injured reserve.
Steelers Outlook
Pittsburgh’s offense has carried the team through its 3-2 start, averaging 22.2 points per game with a plus-2 turnover differential that reflects a defense generating takeaways at a better clip than it is giving the ball away. Running back Jaylen Warren has been the engine, posting a career-high 188 scrimmage yards against Indianapolis with an 80-yard touchdown catch and a 50-yard touchdown run, giving him 490 combined yards over his last three games. He leads the team in both rushing (410 yards) and receiving (230 yards).
The concern is the road record. Pittsburgh is 0-2 away from home this season, surrendering an average of 349.5 yards in losses to New England and Cleveland. The Steelers also recorded zero sacks against Indianapolis, even though their defense ranks with 11 total sacks on the season.
Mike McCarthy’s team sits at 3-2, tied for second in the AFC North.
Buccaneers Outlook
Tampa Bay snapped its losing streak behind a run-heavy approach that produced 241 yards on the ground against Dallas. Irving’s 406 rushing yards and two touchdowns anchor an offense that is averaging 133.0 rushing yards per game, well above Pittsburgh’s 101.2 mark allowed on the ground. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka has emerged as Daniels’ top target with 21 catches for 192 yards and a touchdown, and kicker Chase McLaughlin has been automatic, going 10 for 10 on the season.
Still, the Buccaneers are 1-4 and last in the NFC South with a .200 winning percentage. Outside linebacker David Walker leads Tampa Bay’s pass rush with two sacks, a modest total that will need to grow against a Steelers offensive line that has allowed 14 sacks in five games.
Key Matchup: Watt Vs. Goedeke
Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt, a four-time All-Pro with 119.5 career sacks, is projected to line up primarily against Buccaneers right tackle Luke Goedeke, according to CBS Sports. Goedeke drew multiple penalties in last week’s win over Dallas, a trend Pittsburgh’s pass rush will look to exploit given Tampa Bay’s limited protection for a rookie quarterback. How that matchup holds up could dictate how often Daniels operates under pressure, a factor that showed up in Tampa Bay giving up 17 sacks already this season.
What To Watch
Pittsburgh carries a notable edge in experience against first-year passers, entering 27-6 against rookie quarterbacks since 2007. That history will be tested against a Tampa Bay offense that found its footing running the ball against Dallas. For the Buccaneers, building on their first win of the season would move them off the bottom of the NFC South standings, where they currently sit level with New Orleans at 1-4. For Pittsburgh, avoiding a repeat of its road struggles would snap an 0-2 away mark and keep the Steelers in the thick of the AFC North race alongside Cleveland and Cincinnati, all at 3-2 behind Baltimore’s 4-1 mark.
More NFL news from Total Apex Sports.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
