TAMPA - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to 1-5 on the season Sunday after the Pittsburgh Steelers scored in overtime to win 26-19 at Raymond James Stadium, with a fourth-down sack by cornerback Jalen Ramsey on rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels sealing Tampa Bay’s fate in Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season.
The Bucs held a 16-3 lead entering the fourth quarter but could not hold on. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who finished 33 of 49 for 253 yards and two touchdowns, drove Pittsburgh down the field in overtime and connected with wide receiver Germie Bernard on a six-yard touchdown pass after taking 6:45 off the clock. Ramsey then dropped Daniels on fourth-and-eight to end the game.
Daniels, starting his third consecutive game in place of injured Baker Mayfield, completed 22 of 43 attempts for 164 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka led Tampa Bay in receiving with seven catches for 48 yards and a two-yard touchdown in the second quarter - his second receiving touchdown and third total on the season. Running back Bucky Irving carried 19 times for 46 yards.
The Bucs’ defense sacked Rodgers five times, including two by outside linebacker David Walker and two by cornerback Keionte Scott, who also recorded eight total tackles. Ramsey countered with 10 total tackles and 2.0 sacks for Pittsburgh, while Bernard caught 11 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Tampa Bay led 16-3 after Chase McLaughlin’s 33-yard field goal early in the third quarter, a margin built on McLaughlin’s 43-yard field goal in the first quarter following a tipped interception by defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson, Egbuka’s touchdown catch, and a 47-yard McLaughlin field goal. Pittsburgh chipped away with a five-yard Rodgers-to-Darnell Washington touchdown, a 39-yard Chris Boswell field goal and a 58-yard Boswell field goal to tie the game at 16 with under two minutes remaining. Steelers cornerback Jamel Dean then intercepted Daniels at the 43-yard line and returned it 40 yards to the three, setting up a Boswell 20-yard field goal that gave Pittsburgh a 19-16 lead with 1:21 left. McLaughlin answered with a 53-yarder to force overtime.
Mayfield, who had started 57 consecutive games after joining the Buccaneers in 2023, has missed three straight games after dislocating the thumb on his throwing hand late in the Week 3 game against Minnesota. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr., dealing with a cracked rib suffered in Week 4, also sat out Sunday for the second consecutive game. Head Coach Todd Bowles said it is “too early to tell” if Mayfield will potentially be in play to return in Week 7.
“No more update than the usual,” Bowles said of Mayfield’s status heading into the week. “He’s not ready to go.”
The Buccaneers travel to Charlotte to face the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m. ET at Bank of America Stadium.