TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Sundays matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Steelers will mark the first time Tom Brady will face the Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger on the other side.
The Steelers (1-4) are still trying to find their rhythm as they head into the matchup against the 22-year NFL veteran Tom Brady.
The Associated Press reported that Brady is 12-3 in his career against Pittsburgh, many of his victories coming in high-pressure circumstances with playoff seeding or seasons on the line, but not this time. The Buccaneers (3-2) are still trying to find their groove after an uneven opening stretch.
“They’re very good. They’re very sound, it’s a hard nose team. I’ve played the Steelers a lot, very physical style of ball,” Brady said during Thursday’s press conference. “They’re going to challenge us, they’re going to be sound, they’re going to be in the right position and they’re going to make us earn it,” he added.
On the other side of the field, Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett is focusing on playing against “an absolute legend.”
Pickett, who will be making his second career start on Sunday, said “he’s an absolute legend,” when referring to Brady. However, the young QB shouldn’t be expected to be starstruck as he showed plenty of fight during the Buffalo Bills game and going at with the Bills defense last Sunday.
“No one can come up here and give a great speech that’s going to turn this thing around,” Pickett said. “We’ve got to go produce on Sunday. There’s nothing I’m going to tell you here that’s going to fix it. We’ve got to go do it as players, as men,” The Associated Press reported.
With the Bucs coming off their first home win of the season and the Steelers left without their star outside linebacker T.J. Watt indefinitely, this matchup should be no challenge for Tampa Bay.
In the Steelers last four games, they’ve recorded three sacks while the Bucs have 19 sacks through five games, making them third in the league behind the 49ers (21) and Cowboys (20).
“Just getting to the quarterback is good, it doesn’t matter who it is for us,” Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said. “A lot of guys sacrifice to get other guys plays. That part of it has been good as far as playing team football.”
INJURIES
The Bucs have 14 players listed as unspecified on the injury report as of Friday afternoon. The players include:
- TE Cameron Brate
- WR Jaelon Darden
- CB Carlton Davis III
- S Mike Edwards
- WR Russell Gage Jr.
- DL William Gholston
- WR Chris Godwin
- DL Akiem Hicks
- WR Julio jones
- CB Sean Murphy-Bunting
- OLB Carl Nassib
- WR Breshad Perriman
- S Logan Ryan
- LT Donovan Smith
On Friday, Bowles revealed that safety Logan Ryan and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting have been ruled out for Sundays game. Bowles added that safety Mike Edwards will be a “game-day decision.”
The Steelers have 11 players that are currently listed as unspecified. The players include:
- WR Diontae Johnson
- CB Cameron Sutton
- CB Ahkello Witherspoon
- CB Levi Wallace
- S Terrell Edmunds
- FS Minkah Fitzpatrick
- DT Montravius Adams
- C Mason Cole
- TE Zach Gentry
- TE Pat Freiermuth
- DT Larry Ogunjobi
HOW TO WATCH
Sundays kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. Fans can watch the game live on FOX.