The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6 for a must-win game that could determine whether the Bucs stay alive in the NFC South race.
To get the inside scoop on the Steelers and learn more about Tampa Bay's opponent, I went behind enemy lines and spoke to Shayne Kubas, a contributor for Still Curtain, FanSided's dedicated Steelers blog.
I gained some valuable intel on how Pittsburgh might try to attack the Buccaneers, and conversely, where the Steelers are vulnerable and what weaknesses Tampa Bay could capitalize on.
Pittsburgh Steelers writer previews Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup: Aaron Rodgers, Jalon Daniels and more
Q: Aaron Rodgers has struggled in his career against the Buccaneers, and particularly when playing in Tampa. He’s only had six three-interception games in his career, and two of those came in Raymond James Stadium. Against the Buccaneers, he’s thrown 11 interceptions in seven career games, and his passer rating against Tampa Bay is 79.4 — his second lowest figure versus any team. Is there any fear from Steelers fans that his struggles will continue against a humming Bucs defense, or do you expect him to buck that trend and deliver a vintage performance in his final career trip to Tampa?
A: I don't expect the passing game to perform particularly well against the Bucs, and Rodgers' past performances against them certainly don't make me feel any better. I think his success or failure will come down to how much they lean on the tight ends in the passing game, especially with three of their wide receivers out this week. I won't predict a meltdown, but it could be hard to watch at times.
Q: Building off that, Todd Bowles said earlier this week that game planning for Aaron Rodgers is a nightmare. Back in 2022, Rodgers called Bowles a really good coach and one who is tough to face, citing his disguised looks. There’s a lot of mutual respect. How difficult will it be for the Steelers to prepare for the “kitchen sink” that Bowles is known for throwing at opposing offenses which has given Rodgers fits over the years?
A: I think that, for better or worse, Mike McCarthy and Rodgers want the offense to operate a certain way. That doesn't mean preparing for Bowles' defense isn't a challenge, but I expect we will see many of the same quick throws, deep passes to try and loosen up the coverage, and a heavy dose of Jaylen Warren. Whether that will work or not is the question.
Q: The Buccaneers have struggled to cover opposing tight ends, allowing four catches for 41 yards per game. The Steelers have a dynamic duo in Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. Do you expect Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers to make the tight end duo a focal point against Tampa Bay?
A: Without Roman Wilson, Michael Pittman Jr., and Ben Skowronek at receiver, I certainly hope that those two are featured heavily. Rodgers and McCarthy want to live in 11 personnel and work from the shotgun, however, so I wouldn't put it past them to try and make due at receiver without changing their game plan.
Q: Do the Steelers have a clear personnel weakness or a specific matchup that the Buccaneers can exploit on Sunday?
A: The Steelers ability to beat man coverage has been a consistent problem for them offensively. If Bowles is willing to call it at a much higher rate than usual, that could really cause issues for them considering their injuries at receiver. I would also be attacking linebackers Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen in coverage if I was calling the offense for Tampa.
Q: Vice versa, is there a weakness the Buccaneers have — outside of the previously mentioned tight ends — that you expect the Steelers to take advantage of?
A: The very fact that the Bucs are starting an undrafted rookie at QB (who I thought should have been a Day 3 pick, for what it's worth) should be a big win for the Steelers. Jalon Daniels was quite good against the Cowboys in Week 5, but facing that defense compared to Pittsburgh's is a different story. With all of the veterans that the Steelers have on that unit, they should be able to create havoc for the young QB to have to deal with.
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