Mike McCarthy walked into his postgame press conference at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday with a 26-19 overtime win and one decision to explain. The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach said he had meant to call a timeout immediately after Tampa Bay’s last play of regulation, but a miscommunication between him and the official allowed time to come off the clock first.
The sequence drew scrutiny. Pittsburgh led 19-16 in the final seconds, and Tampa Bay had no timeouts left as it rushed its field goal unit onto the field. The Steelers’ stoppage was widely criticized afterward for giving the Buccaneers time to get set, and Chase McLaughlin made a 53-yarder with eight seconds left to force overtime. McCarthy also said he had been stepped on along the sideline during the game and was fine.
Coach McCarthy addresses the media following our win over the Buccaneers. @Acrisure pic.twitter.com/pVDOggXKpn
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 18, 2026
A homecoming for Dean
McCarthy saved his warmest words for Jamel Dean. The cornerback, who signed with Pittsburgh this offseason after his years in Tampa Bay, intercepted rookie Jalon Daniels with the score tied and returned it about 40 yards to inside the Tampa Bay 5. McCarthy called it a huge play and said nobody could have written the script better for Dean on his return to his old stadium.
That pick capped a fourth quarter that turned the game. Pittsburgh trailed 16-3 before Chris Boswell’s 58-yard field goal tied it at 16 with 1:55 to go, and Boswell’s 20-yarder after Dean’s interception gave the Steelers their first lead with 1:21 left. Across the fourth quarter and overtime Pittsburgh outscored Tampa Bay 23-3.
How overtime was won
Aaron Rodgers took the first possession of the extra period 70 yards in 12 plays, using 6:45, and finished it with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Germie Bernard. Tampa Bay’s answer ended on fourth-and-8 when Jalen Ramsey sacked Daniels.
Rodgers completed 33 of 49 passes for 253 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, and he was sacked five times. Bernard and DK Metcalf each caught 11 passes, Bernard for 87 yards and Metcalf for 93. Pittsburgh’s defense held Tampa Bay to 224 yards, took Daniels down five times and picked him off twice; Daniels finished 22 of 43 for 164 yards.
The win lifted Pittsburgh to 4-2. Tampa Bay fell to 1-5. Every play is in the Steelers-Buccaneers Game Center.
What comes next
The Steelers now travel to France. They face the New Orleans Saints at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday, October 25, at 9:30 a.m. EDT, the first regular-season NFL game played in the country (Game Center). Tampa Bay visits the Carolina Panthers that afternoon.
No published comments yet. Start the conversation.