Short-handed Steelers keep Brady out of the end zone, beat Bucs to stop skid

Facing the most decorated quarterback in NFL history, the Pittsburgh Steelers trotted out a defense that was missing four veteran defensive backs, including three starters. The league’s reigning defensive player of the year was on the sideline, too.

Tom Brady not only was playing against a depleted secondary, he was facing a team rocked by four consecutive losses and coming off the franchise’s most lopsided defeat in 33 seasons.

The Steelers were historic underdogs for the second week in a row and staring at the first 0-3 start at home since 1986.

What transpired Sunday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium involved the Steelers overcoming odds typically reserved for winning the Powerball.

Brady was held out of the end zone until 4 minutes, 38 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Mitch Trubisky replaced a concussed Kenny Pickett and led a touchdown drive in the fourth and the Steelers held on for the most improbable of victories: a 20-18 decision against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“You still have to snap the ball and play four quarters,” said inside linebacker Devin Bush, who broke up a tying 2-point conversion pass in the fourth. “Anybody’s got a chance in the NFL.”

And that includes the Steelers despite the fact they were reeling from a 38-3 loss a week earlier at Buffalo. Until Sunday, they were 0-6 in the Super Bowl era in the game following a loss by at least 35 points.

Asked the obvious question regarding the 9.5-point underdog Steelers, Bucs coach Todd Bowles said, “No, we didn’t take them lightly.”

The win improved the Steelers’ record to 2-4 and moved them to within a game of AFC North leaders Baltimore and Cincinnati.

“I appreciate the mettle the group showed this week remaining singularly focused in the midst of the storm,” coach Mike Tomlin said.

At the center of the storm was a defense that Tomlin understatedly said was “leaking.” Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ahkello Witherspoon, Cam Sutton and Levi Wallace were out because of injury, leaving Brady to face the likes of James Pierre, Josh Jackson, Quincy Wilson and Elijah Riley. Pierre was the only member of the quartet who didn’t begin the week on the practice squad.

“You have to accept the challenge,” safety Terrell Edmunds said. “It brings out the competitor in the locker room.”

Edmunds led the Steelers with 10 tackles while providing what Tomlin called a “calm and soothing voice” as the communication hub for the secondary. Faced with those limitations, Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin used a variety of disguises to make up for a scaled-down playbook.

“The gameplan was pretty simple,” Riley said, “and we executed as best we could.”

The defense held Brady and the Bucs to four field goals until the seven-time Super Bowl champion threw an 11-yard touchdown pass with 4:38 left. Brady never got to touch the ball again as Trubisky helped the Steelers run out the clock.

Brady completed 25 of 40 passes for 243 yards but he guided the Bucs to just one touchdown in four trips inside the red zone and was 0 for 2 in goal-to-go situations.

“Everything was a challenge today,” Brady said. “There was nothing that was not challenging to our offense.”

A week after the Steelers didn’t register a sack for the second time this season and hit Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen once, they dropped Brady twice and hit him five other times. It helped them win without star outside linebacker T.J. Watt for the first time in nine tries.

“We all just bought in to the plan,” Edmunds said. “We all just accepted the challenge that we don’t have our regular group, but we still have guys who can play good football. We went out there and showed that today.”

The Steelers also allowed a season-low 75 yards rushing, holding the Bucs to 2.9 yards per carry. After the first quarter, the Bucs gained 35 yards on 19 carries.

“Everyone was back to having fun,” said outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, who sacked Brady once. “That’s what we talked about this week. We need to get back to playing with swag.”

The offense helped by getting a touchdown on the opening drive of the game for the first time since Week 10 last season against Detroit. In his first home start, Pickett threw his first NFL touchdown pass, hitting Najee Harris for a 6-yard score.

Pickett was 11 of 18 for 67 yards before being forced out of the game after being hit by linebacker Devin White in the third quarter and the Steelers holding a 13-12 lead.

Enter Trubisky, who was benched for Pickett at halftime of the previous home game, a loss to the New York Jets.

Trubisky completed 9 of 12 attempts for 144 yards and threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Chase Claypool — the first score by a Steelers receiver this season — with 9:55 to play.

Trubisky hit two big third down completions on the drive. On a third-and-13, he found George Pickens for 14 yards to the Steelers 40. On third-and-6, he was given a free play because of two penalties and threaded a pass across the middle to rookie tight end Connor Heyward. The gain of 45 yards was the longest of the season and set the stage for the touchdown pass to Claypool.

“He was hungry,” wide receiver Diontae Johnson said. “He was playing like he had something to prove.”

Brady brought the Bucs back with their only touchdown drive, converting once on third down and twice on fourth before throwing an 11-yard TD pass to Leonard Fournette to make it 20-18.

Brady’s 2-point conversion pass was intended for Chris Godwin, but Bush broke it up to protect the lead.

Trubisky made sure Brady never got one more chance at pulling off a comeback. He hit Claypool with third-down completions of 17 and 26 yards, then kept the ball and ran twice for 12 yards to set up a pair of kneel downs that ended the game.

If the outcome was a shock to the rest of the world, it wasn’t to those dressing inside the Steelers locker room.

“We’re a bunch of fighters,” Bush said. “I think we’ve proven that. Whatever happens, we’re going to continue to fight.”