Aaron Rodgers threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns to rally the Pittsburgh Steelers from a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit to a 26-19 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Rodgers shrugged off a slow start to lead four fourth-quarter scoring drives, then finished off a 12-play, 70-yard march with a 7-yard TD throw to Germie Bernard to give the Steelers (4-2) the lead for good with 3:15 remaining in OT.
Rookie Jalon Daniels drove the Bucs (1-5) to midfield on the ensuing possession, but Tampa Bay could only get as close as the Steelers' 48 before Jalen Ramsey sacked the undrafted free agent on fourth down for an 11-yard loss to end the game.
All five of Tampa Bay's losses have been by seven points or less.
"We played hard. We played very hard," Bucs coach Todd Bowles said. "Very competitive. We got to learn to finish ball games. And that's all three phases. Had a chance to finish the ball game. Play that hard and grab a lead ... we got to finish the ball game, and we have no more margin for error."
Rodgers completed 33 of 49 passing. He was sacked five times in the first three quarters and also tossed a first-quarter interception that led to the first of four field goals by Tampa Bay's Chase McLaughlin.
Chris Boswell also kicked four field goals for Pittsburgh, including a 20-yarder set up by former Buccaneer Jamel Dean's interception to give the Steelers a short-lived 19-16 lead with 1:21 left in regulation.
“We feel like we gave that one to them. We've got to be able to execute better in the second half and make adjustments we need to make,” said Bucs receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Daniels, who tossed a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions to help Pittsburgh get back in the game, promptly led the Bucs into field goal range with completions of 22 and 13 yards to fellow rookie Ted Hurst. McLaughlin, 14 of 14 this season, calmly booted a 53-yarder to force the extra period.
Daniels, making his third career start filling in for the injured Baker Mayfield, completed 22 of 43 passes for 164 yards and one touchdown. Daylen Everette's interception led to a field goal that enabled Pittsburgh to erase a 16-13 deficit, and Dean's pick and 40-yard return to the Bucs' 2 set up another field goal.
Playing without injured receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson, Rodgers struggled to consistently move the ball for three quarters against a Bucs defense that has played better the past two games.
The 42-year-old, four-time NFL MVP's string of three consecutive games with three TD passes not only ended but the Steelers didn't come anywhere close to getting the ball
into the end zone until his 5-yard TD throw to Washington early in the fourth quarter.
An announced crowd of 64,660 attended at Raymond James Stadium, with a significant amount of Steelers fans wearing black and yellow and waiving the team's iconic yellow Terrible Towels.
"I thought the crowd was phenomenal," McCarthy said. "Just to see the Terrible Towels show up and especially at the key parts of the game in the fourth quarter in overtime, that was special. That's a special road win."
Everette noticed the Steelers fans after his first career interception in the fourth quarter.
"I'm not going to lie, it was crazy," said Everette. "Even after that play, I looked in the crowd, and you saw more of those towels than you saw red. We came deep. It was good to see."
McCarthy spent all of halftime in the injury tent while being evaluated for a sore ankle that was the result of being stepped on along Pittsburgh's sideline.
He was limping across the field toward the visiting locker room before turning back and continuing to the injury tent behind the Steelers' bench. McCarthy returned to the sideline for the start of the third quarter and finished the game.
The Bucs next play this Sunday at NFC South rival Carolina.
