5 winners (and 4 losers) after Buccaneers’ gut-wrenching loss to Steelers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to 1-5 with a 26-19 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

The Buccaneers dominated early and led 16-3 entering the fourth quarter but inexplicably collapsed down the stretch for yet another head-scratching loss.

There were several Buccaneers who did all they could to put this team in position to win, while others left plenty to be desired with their performances.

Winners & Losers from Buccaneers' 26-19 loss to the Steelers in Week 6

Winner: OLB David Walker

David Walker continues to separate himself as the Buccaneers’ best pass rusher. He recorded two sacks, bringing his total to four on the season.

He’s the game-changing pass rusher the Bucs have been waiting for, and is on pace to become the team’s first player to reach double-digit sacks since Shaq Barrett in 2021.

Winner: OLB Rueben Bain Jr.

Rueben Bain Jr. finally notched his first career sack on Sunday, and he also had a tipped pass that led to an interception.

Bain might not have made the immediate impact fans expected, but the rookie just had his best game as a pro and the arrow is pointing up.

Loser: QB Jalon Daniels

Jalon Daniels looked the part of an undrafted rookie against the Steelers, completing 22-of-43 passes (51%) for 164 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. 

Both of his turnovers came in the fourth quarter which enabled the Steelers to pull off the comeback win. As he unraveled down the stretch, he missed several easy throws due to poor accuracy.

He also took five sacks, some of which were completely avoidable. Daniels is a promising young player that Bucs fans love, but he didn’t play winning football on Sunday.

Winner: K Chase McLaughlin

Chase McLaughlin is the most reliable player on the team, and a constant bright spot in an otherwise dreary season.

McLaughlin was a perfect four-for-four on field goals with a long of 53 yards.

He hasn’t missed yet this season, making all 14 field goal tries and all 10 extra point attempts. His contract is set to expire after this season; and the Bucs might just need to make him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL to ensure he stays home in Tampa Bay.

Loser: OC Zac Robinson

Zac Robinson’s offense has been a major disappointment this season, and that continued in Week 6.

The Buccaneers scored just six points in the second half, and didn’t do enough to complement what was a dominant defensive performance through three quarters.

Every play is a battle, and nothing looks easy for the Buccaneers offense, which is the hallmark of a bad play caller. 

Robinson wasn’t helped by dropped passes, missed throws, and turnovers — but he still shoulders a fair amount of the blame for how sluggish this offense has been all season long.

Winner: DT A’Shawn Robinson

A’Shawn Robinson has been a key veteran leader for this Buccaneers team, and has backed up his talk by showing up and making plays.

After a deflected pass by Bain, Robinson caught the tipped ball for his second interception of the year, which seems like an impossible stat for a defensive tackle to achieve.

Loser: Bucs Offensive Line

The offensive line isn’t in the loser’s column because of Jalon Daniels being sacked five times. They’re here because of the inability to create holes in the running game. The Steelers defense won the battle in the trenches.

Just a week after Bucky Irving rushed for 165 yards on almost eight yards per carry, against Pittsburgh, he was limited to 46 yards on 19 attempts for a brutal 2.4-yard average. Kenny Gainwell had two carries for 17 yards, bringing the total yards gained by running backs to 63 yards on 21 carries for an even three-yard average.

For an offensive line this talented, the standard is higher than that. The Bucs looked like they found their identity last week with a power rushing attack, but that was stifled by the Steelers.

Winner: LB Josiah Trotter

Josiah Trotter continues to be a tackling machine. His 12 tackles were the highest by any player on either team, and he also had a pass defended.

His physicality has brought a much-needed edge to this defense, and the immediate impact he’s made as a rookie isn’t going unnoticed.

Trotter is the Bucs’ linebacker of the future and is already emerging as the leader of this defense.

Loser: P Riley Dixon

Riley Dixon continues to be one of the NFL’s worst punters.

He punted six times with a 40.8 yard average. To put that number in perspective, Dixon’s punting average in Week 6, over the course of the full season, would rank worst among all punters in the NFL.

He shanked his first punt for only 28 yards. Dixon is the weak link on an otherwise solid special teams unit, and they need to replace him after this season, if not sooner.

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