The Buccaneers try to avoid another embarrassment as they travel to Pittsburgh.
Fresh off a nightmarish 56-14 loss at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons (2-1), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3) travel to Heinz Field in hopes of avoiding a second consecutive embarrassment against the Pittsburgh Steelers. On the other side, the Steelers enter a soft part of their schedule needing to stockpile as many wins as possible in order to compete in the difficult AFC North.
With quarterback Josh McCown at the controls, the Buccaneers failed to produce a single score against Atlanta. It wasn't until the Falcons benched their starters and Mike Glennon entered the game that Tampa Bay put points on the board. With McCown's status unclear due to a hand injury, Glennon could get the start this week.
The Steelers are suddenly plagued with injuries on defense, with both cornerback Ike Taylor and outside linebacker Jarvis Jones landing on injured reserve this week. The situation has become so dire that 36-year-old James Harrison was coaxed out of retirement to fill in.
How to watch
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
When: 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Announcers: Thom Brennaman, David Diehl, Laura Okmin
Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network, Steelers Radio Network
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile
Odds
The Steelers are 8½-point favorites, with an over/under in the game of 45, per Odds Shark.
Nuts and bolts
Tampa Bay's offense has fallen flat in both the passing and ground games. Preferred starting tailback Doug Martin has been sidelined with a knee injury, and replacement Bobby Rainey has struggled holding onto the football. McCown has twice as many interceptions (four) as touchdowns (two), and Glennon's inexperience means that he is at risk of continuing that trend.
Meanwhile, the Steelers possess the best ground game in the AFC. Lead back Le'Veon Bell has produced 315 yards at a 5.9 clip, adding another 146 yards in the passing game. Power back LeGarrette Blount is behind Bell. In a limited role, Blount is averaging 7.8 yards per carry while also serving as the team's goal-line rusher. He already has two touchdowns on the year.
Further reading
For more on the Buccaneers, check out Bucs Nation. For additional coverage of the Steelers, head on over to Behind the Steel Curtain.
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