The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a great chance to really get their season back on track against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, and for most of the game, it looked like they would.
Then the fourth quarter happened.
The Bucs went into the fourth with a 16-3 lead, only to see it vanish before falling 26-19 in overtime.
Now 1-5, the season once again feels lost.
Who gave the Bucs a chance to win their second straight game on Sunday? And who played a big role in the team's collapse?
Let's check out my five winners and five losers from Tampa's heartbreaking loss to the Steelers.
1. David Walker: Coming into the game, Walker had two of Tampa's six sacks this season, despite barely playing.
On Sunday, Walker added another two sacks to his total and continues to prove he is the Bucs' best pass rusher.
If only his head coach would start acting like it .
2. Chase McLaughlin:Tampa's kicker continues to be the team's MVP. He was perfect again against the Steelers, making four more field goals, including a 53-yarder with eight seconds left to send the game to overtime.
Week in and week out, McLaughlin has been the Bucs' most dependable player and is as close to automatic as a kicker can be.
3. Keionte Scott:The rookie CB had another strong game Sunday, finishing with eight tackles and a sack.
Scott gave up some catches in coverage, but his overall game was impressive. He has a very bright future in Tampa.
4. Rueben Bain Jr.:Bain finally recorded his first career sack , and got it against future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers.
Not too shabby.
Bain doubled his season total with three total tackles, had a pass breakup, and looked the best he has thus far in his career.
Hopefully, his early struggles were health-related, and Sunday's game was a hint of things to come.
5. A'Shawn Robinson:Robinson continues to be a force in the middle of Tampa's defensive line and has proven to be a fantastic free-agent signing.
He has brought a nastiness the defensive line sorely lacked, and even notched his team-leading second interception of the season.
1. Todd Bowles:It is clear that Bowles is on his way out. His team continues to underachieve. He continues to be outcoached each game.
His refusal to play Walker more is a fireable offense on its own, and I don't think he survives the season as Tampa's head coach.
2. Jalon Daniels: In my five takeaways from the game, I said Daniels was thrust into an unfair situation. He isn't ready for the QB2 job. Tampa made a mistake by not keeping three quarterbacks.
Daniels has a bright future and was great against Dallas, but he threw two awful fourth-quarter interceptions against the Steelers, held onto the ball too long, and missed on several other makeable throws.
He looked like an undrafted rookie against Pittsburgh.
3. The Offensive Line:The expected biggest strength of the team gave up another five sacks on Sunday. Yes, some of the fault falls on Daniels, but the offensive line has performed nowhere close to expectations this season.
4. Riley Dixon:It seems like every one of his punts is a disaster waiting to happen. There have to be better options out there for Tampa than a guy who can barely average 40 yards per punt.
Dixon's drop-off has been astounding to watch.
5. Kenny Gainwell:Tampa's biggest offensive free-agent signing was supposed to form a lethal RB duo with Bucky Irving. Instead, he has been an afterthought.
Against the Steelers, the team Gainwell had a career season with just last year, he had two carries and one reception, bringing his season totals to 19 rushes and 11 receptions through six games.
What was the point of signing Gainwell if he wasn't going to have a big role in the offense? He had 114 rushes, 73 receptions, over 1,000 total yards, and eight touchdowns in Pittsburgh in 2025.
His addition was supposed to be a big deal. Instead, it has been completely irrelevant and his lack of usage is nearly as confusing as Walker's.
