Steelers vs. Buccaneers: What they're saying in Tampa after loss
Wedding plans, anyone?
Krafty.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were huge road favorites over Pittsburgh and a depleted secondary.
Quarterback Tom Brady, arguably the best to ever play the game, skipped the Bucs’ walk-through practice and meetings Saturday morning to party at the wedding of his old buddy, Patriots owner Robert Kraft on Friday in New York City.
Elton John, Ed Sheeran and Meek Mill performed at the wedding, according to ESPN. Jon Bon Jovi and Kenny Chesney also attended.
Two days later, Brady looked flat Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. He threw a sideline tantrum at his teammates that went viral.
And the Steelers upset Brady’s bunch 20-18.
“After the game, Bucs players spoke in hushed tones in the locker room and appeared stunned by the loss,” wrote Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “Following the Bucs’ 20-18 loss to an undermanned Steelers team that had dropped four in a row, started a rookie quarterback and dominated with a defense decimated by injuries, Bucs coach Todd Bowles said his players had received too many pats on the back for winning Super Bowl 55 two seasons ago.”
The Buccaneers came into the season with Super Bowl aspirations. Now, they’re 3-3.
“The offense is reasonably healthy now and still struggling,” wrote Frank Schwab of Yahoo!Sports. “It did very little against a Steelers team without its top three cornerbacks and All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. They also were without reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt.
“An offense with Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Leonard Fournette should feast on a defense missing that many key players.”
More Steelers:
• Short-handed Steelers keep Brady out of the end zone, beat Bucs to stop skid
• 2 weeks after benching, Mitch Trubisky makes clutch plays in relief in preserving Steelers’ win
• Devin Bush delivers timely play on late 2-point try to help seal Steelers’ win
• Steven Sims calls his shot in producing big returns during 1st full game in role for Steelers
• Steelers QB Kenny Pickett suffers concussion, leaves 1st career home start
Website JoeBucsFan.Com did not have high praise for Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who entered the game in the second half after rookie starter Kenny Pickett left with a possible concussion. Yet, Trubisky picked apart the Bucs during a game-winning touchdown drive capped by a end zone snag by wide receiver Chase Claypool.
“He was truly horrible in Chicago, a big tease in Buffalo in limited action, and downright brutal with the Steelers,” the website wrote. “Yet Trubisky came alive coming off the bench for an injured Pickett to connect on 9 of 12 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown to prevent the Bucs from coming back.
“Yes, this is the same Trubisky whose singular moment of glory previously was going scorched earth on the Bucs. It was a dreary, damp, chilly late-September day (welcome to Chicago) along the banks of Lake Michigan and Trubisky went bananas looking more like Dan Marino than, well, Trubisky. The pride of North Carolina ripped up the Bucs (Mike Smith says hi) completing 19 of 26 passes for 354 yards and six touchdowns. Yeah, six.”
Trubisky did not toss six TDs on Sunday. But he did enough.
Ben Schmitt is a TribLive deputy managing editor focusing on Pittsburgh and online news coverage. Before becoming an editor in 2018, he worked as a reporter for more than 20 years in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Georgia and New Hampshire. He can be reached at bschmitt@triblive.com
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