No illusion, Steelers steal some magic from Buccaneers in 30-27 win
There was plenty of pre-game chatter surrounding the “Fitzmagic” being alive in Tampa Bay as Buccaneers (and former journeyman) quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had revitalized Bucs football in place of suspended Jameis Winston during the first two weeks of the 2018 NFL season and just as much talk about how uncharacteristic it was for the Pittsburgh Steelers to head into Week Three with nothing in the win column. The Steelers put 30 points on the scoreboard before halftime but allowed the Buccanneers to get back into the game during the second half; credit Fitzpatrick for finding something left in his bag of tricks. Pittsburgh was able to come away with a win after letting the Bucs get back into the game, putting a ‘W’ on their record with a final score of 30-27.
Improved but not perfect defense
Our group at Steel City Underground typically have long discussions after games, and throughout the week following, about things we have observed and the focus the past two weeks has been on how disorganized the Steelers defense has not only looked but demonstrated. On Monday night, Pittsburgh showed improvement for three-fourths of the game. In the final quarter, Fitzpatrick was able to take advantage of some mental errors in the back end of the Steelers defense.
Joe Haden‘s return to the lineup was an immediate upgrade and seemed to give the defense more cohesion. In the first offensive series for Tampa Bay, Haden was able to break up a pass intended for Chris Godwin and force a three-and-out to get the Steelers offense back on the field. The pressure would continue as linebacker Jon Bostic broke up a pass meant for O.J. Howard and Anthony Chickillo earned a sack for a ten-yard loss on Fitzpatrick. Cornerback Artie Burns put his head right on the ball in the arms of a Bucs receiver, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Mike Hilton. A batted ball by Bostic turned into a Hilton interception that was followed on the next series by a 38-yard pick six by rookie Terrell Edmunds, his first NFL interception. In a poorly-timed pass, Fitzpatrick was picked by Bud Dupree for a 10-yard touchdown. Haden would then break up a pass in the end zone meant for Chris Godwin to force a field goal.
Despite sacks by Dupree and Bostic early in the second half, Fitzpatrick would orchestrate a comeback of sorts by capping off a 63-yard drive with a touchdown pass to Chris Godwin and then when the Steelers had an opportunity to get off the field, Tampa Bay facing a long fourth-down play, Fitzpatrick found Cameron Brate to cut the Steelers lead to 30-20. After a punt return for a touchdown by DeSean Jackson that was negated due to a Buccaneers penalty (Isaiah Johnson, holding), Fitzpatrick marched the offense 92 yards and found Mike Evans to move the score to 30-27. The Steelers defense did enough to keep the game in hand, but things started to get concerning as the Bucs started finding a rhythm. This will continue to be an area that the Steelers will be forced to focus on – playing strong ‘D’ for an entire 60 minutes.
Offense cruising behind Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger stayed poised as he led the Steelers offense. Tight end Vance McDonald had an early catch and heavy stiff arm after the catch that forced the defender into the turf to open up the field for a touchdown catch-and-run. It will long be a play that is talked about (and was by several NFL players across the league on social media) and it set the tempo for the offense as they played tough football.
My goodness.. 😳😳
— Mohamed Sanu Sr. (@Mo_12_Sanu) September 25, 2018
Man I’m weak!!! 1) why was he so open 2) Ain’t nothing like getting mushed in front of your mom.
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) September 25, 2018
Roethlisberger surpassed 300 yards passing for the third week in a row as he found McDonald, Antonio Brown and Ryan Switzer for touchdowns. Juju Smith-Schuster also logged his third consecutive 100-yard receiving game with Roethlisberger tossing the rock.
If there were worries before the game that B.J. Finney and Matt Feiler would struggle to step into starting roles on the offensive line in place on injured Marcus Gilbert and David DeCastro, fans should feel confident that the depth is solid. The offensive line helped keep Roethlisberger clean, for the most part, during the game and did a nice job blocking for James Conner and Stevan Ridley even though Tampa Bay was extremely stingy against the run throughout the game. Conner had a nice breakaway run in the fourth quarter thanks to good blocking up front and a downfield block from Brown.
Final Thoughts
There was too much laundry on the field tonight that went against Pittsburgh. Part of that was the continued calls for penalties for roughing the passer that has the league, it’s players, coaches, and owners scratching their heads as to what is and what is not legal versus illegal. Other penalties, including two by Darrius Heyward-Bey and one on Bostic, were mental errors that need to be eliminated.
The Steelers should have been able to shut the door on Tampa Bay after scoring 30 points in the first half of the game. They’re still a long way from being a polished team that looks primed for a long run, but the win is a welcome one. Time for the Steelers to build off the of the good and continue tossing what doesn’t into the circular bin moving forward.
