Steelers rally from 13 down to beat Buccaneers 26-19 in overtime

Steelers erase a 13-point deficit to win it in overtime

The Pittsburgh Steelers rallied from a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-19 in overtime on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, improving to 4-2 while the Buccaneers dropped to 1-5. Aaron Rodgers directed four scoring drives across the fourth quarter and overtime, and the Steelers got the winning points on a touchdown pass to Germie Bernard with 3:15 left in the extra period. Tampa Bay's final possession reached the Steelers 48, but Jalen Ramsey sacked rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels for an 11-yard loss on fourth down to end the game.

A fourth quarter that turned into a kicking duel

The two kickers traded field goals through most of the fourth quarter. Chris Boswell hit from 39, 58 and 20 yards, the last one set up by Jamel Dean's interception of Daniels, to put Pittsburgh ahead 19-16 with 1:21 left in regulation. Chase McLaughlin, 14 of 14 on field goals this season, answered with a 53-yarder with eight seconds on the clock to force overtime. Daniels threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter that led to Pittsburgh field goals, one picked off by Daylen Everette and the other by Dean, whose 40-yard return set up Pittsburgh at the Tampa Bay 2.

Pittsburgh finished with more total yards, 300 to 224, and committed only one turnover to Tampa Bay's two. The Steelers were flagged five times for 62 yards, the Buccaneers four times for 38.

Rodgers ground through a rough day before the breakthrough

Rodgers finished 33 of 49 for 253 yards and two touchdowns, but it was far from clean. He was sacked five times through the first three quarters and threw a first-quarter interception that set up one of Chase McLaughlin's four field goals. Pittsburgh did not reach the end zone until Rodgers hit tight end Darnell Washington for a 5-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, which also snapped his streak of three straight games with three touchdown passes. He played without receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson, both out with injuries, and leaned on DK Metcalf, who caught 11 passes for 93 yards.

Daniels and the Buccaneers had their moments in the loss

Daniels, making his third career start in place of injured Baker Mayfield, completed 22 of 43 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown to Emeka Egbuka, who finished with seven catches for 48 yards. Bucky Irving carried 19 times for 46 yards as Tampa Bay's running game struggled to find room most of the day. Rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter, who had 12 tackles, played through a knee injury after being added to the injury report late in the week. Tampa Bay was already without safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (fractured ribs), running back Sean Tucker (quadriceps) and cornerback Benjamin Morrison (quadriceps). Pittsburgh's next game takes it to Paris to face the New Orleans Saints.

Facts per ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.