Not only are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers more dangerous after a long week of rest, but they really boosted their confidence in Week 5 with their first win of the 2026 NFL regular season, taking down the Dallas Cowboys and their shoddy defense in prime time. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers defense was excellent, nullifying the Boys both through the air and on the ground, even though Dak Prescott leads one of the league's most explosive offenses.
The Pittsburgh Steelers offense, by contrast, isn't as formidable on paper, but Aaron Rodgers has shown he is capable of putting up points, such as last week when the Steelers toasted the Indianapolis Colts defense for 34.
And while the legendary signal caller is the one who faces the most attention, both good and bad, the real calayst for the Steelers has been their latest running back sensation, Jaylen Warren, who is getting even heavier usage in both the passing and running game with Kenny Gainwell now in Tampa Bay.
Jaylen Warren is the Buccaneers' biggest test yet
Warren was exceptional last weekend in the win over the Colts, registering 101 rushing yards on just 15 carries for his third straight game with at least 90 yards on the ground. And with 410 rushing yards on the season, he is by far the Steelers biggest threat as a runner, with Pittsburgh not even having a single player with even 40 rushing yards as new signing Rico Dowdle struggles to make an impact.
Defensively, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been pretty stout against the run. Their max allowed on the season in terms of rushing yards is only 106 in Week 1 against the CIncinnati Bengals, and the new look front seven does indeed appear as nasty as Jason Licht and Todd Bowles wanted. They are getting better and better, pushing the Cowboys down to just 50 yards on the ground last week.
But the thing is, the Buccaneers run defense hasn't really been tested. They haven't faced a great running back this season, and while Jaylen Warren isn't the first name on everybody's list when we talk about great running backs, he is in top form and has been one of the best in the NFL right now with nearly six yards per carry.
He takes that average to a Buccaneers defense that allows 3.3 yards per carry, which is literally the second best mark in the NFL. That is a massive improvement and is a team effort, but the biggest star on that unit is Josiah Trotter, who has been every bit the top downhill thumping inside linebacker the Bucs expected when they took him in the second round.
Trotter will have to be on his A game against a shifty Warren, who was deadly in the passing game last week with 87 receiving yards and a touchdown, catching all six targets. He's also never had fewer than 33 yards through the air in any week this season. Warren will keep Trotter and this defense on their toes both on the ground and even through the air, and though Trotter has shown up well in coverage, his alleged weakness will be tested even more by Warren on Sunday.
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