Steelers Rally Past Buccaneers 26-19 in OT: Who Gets Credit, Who Gets Blame, and What Still Needs Work

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 4-2 after a 26-19 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Tampa. Aaron Rodgers threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner to Germie Bernard in overtime. The Steelers trailed 16-3 entering the fourth quarter, scored 16 points in the final period to force OT, and then closed it out. Chris Boswell kicked four field goals. The defense forced two interceptions from Bucs rookie Jalon Daniels and sealed the win with a Jalen Ramsey sack on fourth down in overtime. The Bucs were without Baker Mayfield and played with Daniels under center. They led for most of the game before the turnovers and late collapse.

Who Deserves Credit

Rodgers gets the first nod. He was sacked five times early and threw a first-quarter interception that set up a Bucs field goal, but he settled in and led multiple scoring drives in the fourth quarter and overtime. He finished 33 of 49. It was another late comeback in a career full of them. DK Metcalf caught 11 passes for 93 yards. Germie Bernard matched him with 11 catches for 87 yards and the overtime touchdown. Both were targeted heavily and produced when the game tightened.

The defense also flipped the script late. Jamel Dean’s interception set up one of Boswell’s field goals. Ramsey was active throughout, finished with a sack on the final fourth-down play, and helped shut down the Bucs once Pittsburgh got the lead. The unit generated five sacks overall and two interceptions. Special teams stayed clean enough with Boswell converting four field goals, including a long one that kept Pittsburgh in it.

Who Takes the Blame

The early offensive performance belongs on the Steelers’ side of the ledger. They managed only three points through three quarters and allowed the Bucs to build a double-digit lead. The run game was limited (89 yards total), and the offense struggled to sustain drives until the fourth quarter. Rodgers’ interception and the early sacks put them in a hole they had to dig out of. For a team that has been competitive, starting that slowly on the road is still a problem.

On the Bucs side, the late turnovers and defensive breakdowns cost them. Daniels threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter that flipped the momentum. The defense that had kept Pittsburgh quiet for most of the day allowed the Steelers to score on multiple consecutive possessions once the game was on the line. Playing without Mayfield made the margin thinner, and the rookie quarterback’s mistakes in the final minutes decided it.

Where They Rank and What Needs Fixing

Through five games entering Sunday, the Steelers ranked around 18th in points scored and 19th in total yards. Passing numbers were middle of the pack, and the run game sat near the bottom half of the league. The defense was stronger, ranking near the top 10 in yards allowed and around 11th in points allowed. They generate takeaways and pressure at a solid rate.

Sunday showed both sides. The offense can still move the ball when Rodgers is protected and the short and intermediate targets (Metcalf and Bernard) are open. It still needs more consistent early production and a more reliable run game so it does not have to live entirely in comeback mode. The defense is good enough to create the turnovers that win close games, but it has to play with more urgency for a full 60 minutes instead of waiting for the fourth quarter. Cleaning up the early-game starts and protecting the quarterback better would reduce the need for these late rallies.

The Steelers are 4-2 and just pulled off a road comeback against a team that led for most of the day. The pieces are there for a competitive stretch. The next test is whether the offense can start faster and the defense can finish games without relying on the other side of the ball to erase double-digit deficits. At 4-2 in a tight AFC North, the margin is still thin enough that those issues need to get fixed.