Tampa Bay Bucs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Full Report Card Grades for Tampa Bay
Just a week removed from one of the most embarrassing defeats in franchise history, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went into a hostile road environment to steal a dramatic victory, taking down the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 at Heinz Field.
Starting for an injured Josh McCown, Bucs quarterback Mike Glennon threw for 302 yards—245 of them in the second half—and a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winner to Vincent Jackson with just seven seconds remaining in the game.
Pittsburgh dominated on offense for most of the game, but the Bucs made plays down the stretch when it mattered most. Tampa Bay converted seven of its 13 third-down attempts and totaled 350 yards of offense.
On defense, the Bucs pass rush finally made its presence felt early on, sacking Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger five times in the first half. Though it didn't notch a sack in the second half, the ones it'd already registered made a huge impact, including a strip-sack from Michael Johnson that led the the Bucs' first touchdown.
Overall, the Steelers were able to move the ball up and down the field effectively for most of the afternoon, but the Bucs defense came up big down the stretch to give the offense a chance to win the game. Roethlisberger completed 29 of his 40 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns, playing through much of the game after smashing his throwing hand on a teammate's helmet.
Antonio Brown and Heath Miller were nearly uncoverable for the Steelers throughout the game, with Brown grabbing seven catches for 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Miller led the team with 10 receptions for 85 yards and a score.
Tampa Bay got a huge contribution from Louis Murphy, who began the season with the team but was waived earlier this month. Murphy came up big, especially after Mike Evans went down with a groin injury, leading the Bucs with six catches for 99 yards, including a 41-yarder that set up the game-winning touchdown.
The Bucs made just enough plays to come away with their first win of the season and could just have a new starting quarterback moving forward, even when McCown returns to full health.
*All stats courtesy of NFL.com.
Quarterback
1 of 10
The Bucs technically started their backup quarterback in this game, but many fans would argue that Mike Glennon should have been the team's starter from the beginning of the season.
Glennon helped prove that theory with an admirable performance in a tough road environment, throwing for 302 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Even Glennon's lone interception was due to an injury to Mike Evans that caused him to pull up on a deep ball.
Glennon was far from perfect, completing just half of his passes and missing on multiple key throws, including two in the end zone on the final drive. But playing quarterback in the NFL is about making plays when they are most needed, and Glennon did exactly that, taking his team 45 yards in 40 seconds with no timeouts to win the game.
GRADE: B
Running Back
2 of 10
Doug Martin was back in the starting lineup for the Bucs this week, and while he had a fairly unspectacular performance, any day that ends without a fumble from this group should be considered a good one after last week.
Martin rushed for 40 yards on 14 carries, finding the end zone from three yards out in the third quarter and adding 16 receiving yards on two catches. Bobby Rainey, who fumbled twice in last week's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, carried the ball just twice for four yards and had one reception for 16 yards. Fullback Jorvorskie Lane carried once for two yards.
The Bucs averaged just 3.2 yards per rushing attempt, and that's including a 19-yard run by receiver Solomon Patton on an end-around.
Again, it was a fairly mistake-free performance from the Bucs' running backs but nothing special.
GRADE: C-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
This unit made its mistakes, but like the rest of the Tampa Bay team, it came up big when it was most needed.
The Bucs' biggest contribution from this group came from Louis Murphy, a veteran who was waived earlier this month and was signed back just a few days ago. Murphy led the team with 99 yards on six receptions, including a 41-yarder that set up the game-winning score.
Vincent Jackson continues to struggle with inexcusable drops for a player who makes over $10 million per year, but he made a fantastic grab to give the Bucs the victory with just seven seconds left in the game. Jackson ended the game with three catches for 36 yards.
Mike Evans was having an impressive game before a groin injury forced him out. Before he left, the rookie first-rounder had hauled in four passes for 65 yards, including a seven-yard touchdown to give the Bucs an early lead.
Another top draft pick of the Bucs this year, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, returned from injury to make a few key plays. The second-round pick had three catches for 44 yards, including a 21-yarder that got the Bucs out of awful field position. Special teams standout Russell Shepard made his own contributions in the passing game, snagging a pair of passes for 30 yards.
Jackson's drops continue to be a concern, but this unit stepped up big for quarterback Mike Glennon. Murphy played big, especially after Evans' injury, and Jackson made a big play to put the game away.
GRADE: B+
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Tampa Bay's offensive line had a Jekyll-and-Hyde afternoon, committing frustrating penalties but coming up big in protection when Mike Glennon needed it most.
Whether it was holding, a false start or back-to-back delay-of-game penalties due to late snaps, the Bucs struggled with the mental aspect of the game up front. These mistakes put Tampa Bay in bad field position on multiple occasions, though it was bailed out by big plays by its own teammates or penalties from across the line of scrimmage.
This unit struggled to open holes for its runners as well, as the Bucs averaged just over three yards per carry.
But the Bucs' blockers came through in the clutch, especially on third downs, picking up blitzes and giving Glennon enough time to make the plays he needed to put the team in position to win the game.
GRADE: C
Defensive Line
5 of 10
With the return of Gerald McCoy and Michael Johnson, the Bucs' front four had a bit of a coming-out party against the Steelers.
The group sacked Ben Roethlisberger five times, including twice on the game's first possession, with Michael Johnson's strip-sack leading to the Bucs' early 7-0 lead. Johnson would get another sack later in the game, while McCoy, Da'Quan Bowers and Scott Solomon all added one of their own.
Tampa Bay wouldn't tally another sack in the second half, but it did a solid job of containing Le'Veon Bell, who was the NFL's leader in total yardage heading into this game. Bell gained just 63 yards on 19 carries and was tackled in the backfield on multiple occasions.
After getting shredded by Matt Ryan last week, Tampa Bay's secondary needed a big performance from the front four this week to help it. The Bucs' defensive line did just that and helped propel the team to victory.
GRADE: A
Linebacker
6 of 10
The Bucs' linebackers had an impressive performance against the run but continued to struggle in coverage.
Tampa Bay's middle line of defense helped hold Le'Veon Bell to just 63 yards rushing, despite being without starting middle linebacker Mason Foster for the second week in a row. Lavonte David led the Bucs with 12 total tackles, including 10 solo stops.
This unit struggled in the pass game, however, especially when the Steelers went to the play-action fake. Pittsburgh tight end Heath Miller cut through the middle of the Tampa Bay defense all day, and Bell was able to gain 46 yards on six receptions.
This group is still trying to settle into the Tampa 2 scheme, but it's led by a playmaker in David, who showed his athleticism by chasing down multiple plays across the field today. Still, it simply must improve its consistency in reading and reacting to the play action, and it needs to create more takeaways for the defense to be successful.
GRADE: C
Secondary
7 of 10
The Bucs' defensive backs should have benefited more from an improved pass rush up front, but the unit still gave up over 300 yards passing and failed to force a takeaway.
Despite playing behind a defensive line that registered five sacks, Tampa Bay's secondary allowed Ben Roethlisberger to complete 30 of his 40 passes for 314 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Antonio Brown got behind the Bucs' safeties all afternoon, catching seven passes for 131 yards and a pair of scores, and he could have had a couple more if not for overthrows.
One of Brown's touchdowns, however, came despite a bad push-off on Alterraun Verner that went uncalled. Verner was actually called for holding on the play, despite being pushed from behind by Brown.
The brightest spot for this unit was Major Wright, who replaced an injured Dashon Goldson in the second quarter and made an immediate impact, especially against the run. The former Chicago Bear finished second on the team with nine total tackles on the day.
Like the linebackers, this group is still experiencing a steep learning curve in the Tampa 2 defense. Goldson and nickelback Leonard Johnson have looked particularly uncomfortable, and this unit simply can't keep giving up 300-yard passing performances if it wants the entire defense to be successful.
GRADE: D+
Special Teams
8 of 10
Tampa Bay's kickoff and punt return teams were solid, allowing just a single kick return and no punt returns from the electric Antonio Brown.
Michael Koenen, however, struggled to show he's worth his hefty paycheck. The veteran punter averaged just 35 yards on his three punts, failing to help the Bucs take control of field position as much as he could have.
Patrick Murray connected on all of his kicks, including a 50-yard field goal that sneaked inside the upright despite being tipped at the line.
Solomon Patton flashed his abilities as a return man with a 25-yard punt return to set up one of Murray's field goals.
Koenen's weak punting day held this unit back, but it was an otherwise strong showing by the Bucs' special teams group.
GRADE: B
Coaching
9 of 10
It's the sign of a good coach when your team responds to an embarrassing loss with a clutch win on the road in a hostile environment the following week. The Bucs did just that this week, responding to 10 days' worth of national ridicule with a huge victory in this game's final moments.
Quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo took the training wheels off as a play-caller, dialing up a much more creative plan than Bucs fans have seen so far this season.
Penalties were still a bit too plentiful—nine—but they cost the Bucs just 50 yards compared to a Steelers team that committed a staggering 13 infractions for 125 yards, including six of the 15-yard variety.
Lovie Smith still has plenty of kinks to work out, but this was a strong step in the right direction.
GRADE: B
Final Grades
10 of 10
Coming off last week's humiliating loss, nobody gave the Bucs a chance to go into Pittsburgh and beat a team that dressed down the Carolina Panthers last week.
But for all of its faults, that's exactly what Tampa Bay did. This game proved that while the Bucs don't have the deepest team in the league, they have some quality starters who make Tampa Bay a strong team when they're healthy, and they got key contributions from some reserves.
The Bucs also may have found that they're better off with Mike Glennon under center, regardless of Josh McCown's health moving forward.
Tampa Bay may not be the playoff contender many thought it'd be this year, but the Bucs proved they're also not as bad as the team who gave up 56 points in three quarters last week.
GRADE: B-
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