The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a stunning loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, collapsing down the stretch and blowing a 16-3 lead before falling 26-19 in overtime.
Bucs have no killer instinct. Dominated early but couldn’t put together a full 4 quarters.
— The Pewter Plank (@ThePewterPlank) October 18, 2026
1-5 now and in sole possession of the NFC South. They’ve got some serious soul searching to do.
The Bucs were outscored 23-3 from the start of the fourth quarter, thanks to a meltdown on both sides of the ball. It’s an excusable loss that knocks Tampa Bay down to 1-5, on a day where the NFC South rival Panthers and Saints both won their matchups.
The Bucs now hold sole possession of last place in the division, and they’ve got some serious soul searching to do as they look to finish the year strong. But barring a miracle, for all intents and purposes, this season is over.
5 gut reactions after Buccaneers’ 26-19 loss to the Steelers
1. The Buccaneers badly need to develop a killer instinct. Last week, despite squeaking out their first win of the season, they nearly blew a 14-point lead, but escaped with a 24-16 win. Today against Pittsburgh, they blew a 16-3 lead before losing in overtime. The Bucs have been dominant early in games, which is encouraging, but they’re unable to play a full four quarters, which is a huge concern.
2. Jalon Daniels looked like an undrafted rookie at the worst possible time. He finished 22-of-43 for 164 yards and a touchdown but threw two costly interceptions and took five sacks. He’s shown a lot of promise during his three starts in relief of Baker Mayfield, but his pocket presence and decision-making need some serious work before he’s ready to be a winning starter.
3. The Buccaneers’ pass rush did all it could to win this game. They threw the kitchen sink at Aaron Rodgers and sacked him five times, with two of them coming from David Walker, who is far and away the team’s best pass rusher.
4. The Buccaneers rookie draft class put their stamp on this game. Rueben Bain Jr. and Keionte Scott both had a sack on Aaron Rodgers. Josiah Trotter had 12 tackles and a pass broken up. Ted Hurst had three catches for 40 yards, and Bauer Sharp had his first career reception on a 21-yard catch. This group of rookies put their stamp on this game, and gave Bucs fans plenty to get excited about for the future.
5. Chase McLaughlin was perfect despite the windy conditions, going four-for-four on field goals with a long of 53 yards. He continues to be the team’s most reliable player and has a legitimate argument as the best kicker in the NFL.
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