Pittsburgh
Steelers
5-0
38
FINAL
45
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
3-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 6 showdown, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers narrowly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 45-38, solidifying their position in the playoff race. Both teams entered the game seeking momentum, but it was the Buccaneers who emerged victorious in this high-scoring affair.
Baker Mayfield was the star of the night, throwing for an impressive 318 yards and five touchdowns, showcasing his ability to connect with receivers under pressure. Ted Hurst III was his top target, racking up 160 receiving yards, while the Buccaneers’ offense as a whole executed flawlessly, keeping the Steelers’ defense on its heels throughout the contest.
Defensively, Tampa Bay made crucial plays that helped secure the win, including a key sack from Rueben Bain Jr. that disrupted a potential scoring drive for Pittsburgh. The game turned in the fourth quarter when the Buccaneers' defense stifled a Steelers possession, allowing their offense to extend the lead and ultimately seal the victory. Despite a strong rushing performance from Pittsburgh's Rico Dowdle, who amassed 138 yards, it was Tampa Bay's ability to make timely stops that proved decisive.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 36 | 19 | 53% | 318 | 5 | 3 | 87.7 |
| Hendon Hooker | QB | 24 | 17 | 71% | 215 | 2 | 1 | 108.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 14 | 138 | 9.9 | 26 | 2 | 56 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 11 | 44 | 4.0 | 5 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 3 | 4 | 1.3 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Bauer Sharp | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen McMillan | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 8 | 160 | 20.0 | 41 | 3 | 29 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 9 | 160 | 17.8 | 111 | 2 | 60 | 0 |
| Bauer Sharp | TE | 6 | 114 | 19.0 | 65 | 1 | 32 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 4 | 31 | 7.8 | 19 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 1 |
| Roman Wilson | WR | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Jalen McMillan | WR | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | — | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 3 | 7 | 2.3 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Trey Palmer | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terell Smith | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spears-Jennings | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donte Kent | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rueben Bain Jr | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keionte Scott | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Yaya Diaby | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Anzalone | WILL | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Hayes | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demonte Capehart | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 1 | 1 | 5 | 27 |
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 1 | 1 | 6 | 54 |

