The Fitzmagic carpet ride came to a screeching halt Monday night. Tampa Bay quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick turned Fitztragic quickly as Pittsburgh handed the Buccaneers (2-1) their first loss of the season, 30-27. Fitzpatrick, filling in for the suspended Jameis Winston, ran out of the mojo that had gotten the Bucs off to the hottest start in football. But it appears he did enough to keep the starting job.
Fitzpatrick, who had thrown only one interception this season coming into the game, threw three picks in the first half, including a pick-six. He did furiously try to lead the Bucs on a fourth-quarter comeback, showcasing the rapport with his receiving corps that was lacking in the first half. But it was too little, too late. He went 30 for 50 with 411 yards passing, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He becomes the first player in league history to eclipse 400 passing yard in three consecutive games.
He didn’t get much help from the defense or run game. The Steelers torched Tampa Bay’s banged up secondary to the tune of a combined 353 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Peyton Barber (8-33-0) again failed to find any kind of rhythm, and the Bucs never established the run. Ronald Jones II was inactive for the third straight game.
Where was DeSean Jackson?
After piling up 275 receiving yards and three touchdowns over his first two games, Jackson disappeared on Monday night. Fitzpatrick only targeted Jackson once in the first half, and that was an incompletion. He finished with forgettable line (3-37-0) in a forgettable game. Chris Godwin dropped two passes, including one in the end zone, and lost a fumble. Only Mike Evans was his usual self, eclipsing 100 yards receiving in the first half. He would go on to pace all Bucs pass-catchers with 137 receiving yards and one touchdown. Godwin added 74 yards and a touchdown.
Good start goes bad
After the teams traded three-and-outs on the game’s first two drives, it was the Bucs who struck first. Justin Evans timed a Ben Roethlisberger pass intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster perfectly for an interception. An 18-yard scamper by Barber gave the Bucs the ball inside the 5 yard line. Fitzpatrick then found tight end Cameron Brate for a 4-yard touchdown strike and a 7-0 lead.
That was the high point of the half for the Bucs.
Tight end Vance McDonald freight-trained Bucs safety Chris Conte with a brutal stiff arm on his way to a 75-yard touchdown catch on the Steelers next drive, making it 7-6 after a missed extra point. Conte (knee) exited the game shortly after that play and did not return. McDonald led all Steelers with 112 yards receiving.
Pittsburgh pours it on
The rest of the first half was almost all Pittsburgh, as a 38-yard Chris Boswell field goal and 27-yard pass from Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown made it 16-7 with 10:33 left in the second quarter. Brown made cornerback Brent Grimes look silly, catching a short pass and juking past him on his way to the end zone. Fitzpatrick’s third interception of the night was returned 10 yards for a touchdown by Bud Dupree to make it 23-7.
Fitzpatrick bounced back with a deep ball down the left sideline that Evans made a great play on for a 51-yard reception with 2:21 left to give the Bucs first down and goal. But the drive fizzled as Godwin dropped Fitzpatrick’s pass in the end zone. Tamp Bay settled for a Chandler Catanzaro field goal, and a 23-10 deficit.
A 1-yard strike from Roethlisberger to Ryan Switzer made it 30-10 heading into halftime.
Godwin’s score overturned
On their first drive of the second half, the Bucs had a Godwin touchdown catch reversed upon review. The drive ate up precious time and nearly ended in another Fitzpatrick interception. The Bucs again had to settle for a field goal and a 30-13 deficit with 7:07 left in the third quarter.
Chris Boswell then missed a field goal after missing an extra point earlier.
Bucs attempt a comeback
The Bucs decision to go for it on fourth down with 13 minutes remaining kept them alive, as Fitzpatrick found Brate for a 9-yard gain and first down. A penalty against Pittsburgh for a horse-collar tackle on Fitzpatrick helped extend the drive to the Bucs’ 4-yard line. Fitzpatrick threw a jump ball to Godwin in single coverage, and Godwin came down with it for the touchdown as the Bucs cut the lead to 30-20.
Jackson tried to breathe life back into the Bucs as well, as he broke loose on an 83-yard punt return and almost scored. But the play was negated by a holding penalty. Fitzpatrick then proceeded to lead a drive that ended in a 24-yard touchdown pass to Evans to make it 30-27 Steelers. Tampa Bay would get no closer.
Running back James Conner helped salt the game away for the Steelers, as they repeatedly fed him the ball on their final two drives. He finished with 61 rushing yards on 15 carries.
