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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a huge and unexpected step back after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-18, on the road in Week 6 of the 2022 NFL season. It was a truly disappointing defeat for the Buccaneers, though they are still in a tie for first place in the NFC South. Here we'll look at some takeaways from the Buccaneers' loss in Week 6.
On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were supposed to waltz into Acrisure Stadium and easily defeat the faltering Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead, they were thrashed on both sides of the ball in a deflating defeat.
Keep in mind that the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers offense didn't score until the last minutes of the game, and a missed two-point convert stopped the Bucs from tying the game. The Steelers triumphed despite losing rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett and missing the majority of their starting secondary due to injuries. Pittsburgh, in fact, held Brady to under 250 yards passing and held the Bucs to under 80 yards rushing.
Here are our four takeaways from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 6 loss vs. the Steelers.
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 16, 2022
4. Buccaneers hamper the Steelers' run game
First, let's look at one silver lining. The Buccaneers managed to hamper the Steelers' run game. Much of it was due to the Bucs defense and also the ineptitude of the Steelers offensive line. Pittsburgh's o-line didn't block as well as it should have, while RBs Najee Harris and Jayen Warren could not really get anything going.
That's it. That's the silver lining.
3. Air D and special teams struggle
The Buccaneers defense was just terrible in this game. They gave up Steelers third-and-long conversions on many occasions during the game, including multiple times on the final drive. That allowed Pittsburgh to run out the clock. Whether it was rookie starter Kenny Pickett or veteran backup Mitch Trubisky, the Bucs D just couldn't make enough crucial stops.
Again, keep in mind that Tampa Bay faced rookie QB Kenny Pickett, who was actually replaced by Trubisky when Pickett exited the game with a concussion. That didn't stop the Steelers from converting third-and-long situations throughout the game, though. And it didn't make life any easier for the Bucs D.
Linebacker Devin White's mental errors, in particular, led directly to scores for the Steelers early in the game. At the same time, the Buccaneers pass rush simply couldn't get home frequently enough, despite what appeared to be an easy matchup for them.
Even on special teams, the Buccaneers struggled with coverage. They allowed large returns on punts and kickoffs. The Steelers' Steven Sims, in fact, averaged 37+ yards in kick returns.
2. Tom Brady could not capitalize
Tom Brady recorded only 243 yards via the air against a Steelers defense that was depleted by injuries. Despite facing such a poor secondary, Mike Evans was only targeted four times during the entire game. There was just a clear disconnect between Brady and the receiving corps.
Brady demanded accountability from his offensive line. Right before halftime, he had some strong words for them.
“You're so much better than the way you're ‘f***ing playing,” Brady said.
Remember that Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht was highly optimistic about rookie left guard Luke Goedeke and first-time starter center Robert Hainsey about a week ago.
Following Licht's comments, Hainsey performed extremely well against the Falcons, while Goedeke was adequate against Atlanta's Pro Bowl DT Grady Jarrett. Against the Steelers, however, both guys were outmatched.
Tampa Bay's offense has also been abysmal in the red zone for the majority of the season, and that trend continued on Sunday. The Bucs scored on only one of their four red zone excursions. They settled for field goals before ultimately scoring with less than five minutes remaining. The Buccaneers even failed to reach the end zone on one drive despite being set up at the one-yard line. Despite facing a lesser opponent and having most of their starting healthy, things just did not improve on the offensive side. To make matters worse, the Bucs ground game averaged only 2.9 yards per carry.
1. The cakewalk that wasn't
The Steelers were a struggling 1-4 club without its two top defenders and much of its secondary. Again this was projected as a cakewalk for the Buccaneers. Pittsburgh's offensive line was shaky, and their quarterback was a rookie, so this was an opportunity for the Bucs to smooth out the kinks and start a winning run.
Instead, the Buccaneers faced a team that was hungrier and a wee bit sharper. Tampa Bay was effectively punched in the mouth, and they will feel it for weeks to come.
Again, Brady had an unexpected down game following two games with 350-plus passing yards. This was despite the absence of four key Steelers defensive backs, including safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and cornerback Cameron Sutton.
The Buccaneers' record was evened at 3-3 after the loss. It also ended a franchise-record six-game road winning run that began in November of 2021. Tampa Bay also lost solo first place in the NFC South after the Atlanta Falcons triumphed on Sunday to tie them at 3-3.
