TAMPA, Fla. — Postgame reactions, commentary and analysis following the Steelers' 26-19 overtime win against the Buccaneers:
Even better Bernard
Rookie receiver Germie Bernard didn't just catch the game-winning touchdown in overtime from Aaron Rodgers. He racked up career-high numbers for the second week in a row, and as the Steelers are stacking wins, their second-round pick is stacking big performances.
Bernard caught 11 passes for 87 yards on 12 targets, including a 19-yard catch that was the Steelers' longest offensive gain of the game. DK Metcalf said he sees it every day in practice when Bernard steps on the field, and tight end Pat Freiermuth was giving him some good-natured grief as reporters gathered around his locker after the game.
"Aaron trusted me, he found me, and I made the most of my opportunities," Bernard said. "I just did what I could for the team so we could have success."
And the result was a historic day for Bernard, who didn't just score his first NFL touchdown in style. He also became the first rookie in franchise history with 10-plus receptions, 80-plus yards and a touchdown in the same game. Ironically, Bernard still has yet to score in regulation. From the looks of it, he won't be waiting long for the next one.
Right there with him
As active as Bernard was, his veteran mentor was even more productive. Metcalf finished with 93 yards as he was targeted 15 times and caught 12 passes, tying his career high in both, set when he was with Seattle.
And Metcalf had just two catches for 12 yards on two targets at halftime. He caught nine passes for 81 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime alone with the Steelers in catch-up mode.
Metcalf pointed to head coach Mike McCarthy dialing up the right play calls against Tampa Bay's zone coverage and Rodgers finding him. Just like in the close loss at Cleveland, when it came time to storm back, Metcalf was at his best.
"We just started executing the plays that were called and started making plays down the field," Metcalf said.
Dean back on the scene
That was a win that meant a lot to every Steelers player and coach, but maybe none more so than cornerback Jamel Dean. McCarthy made Dean a captain for the week, given that the Buccaneers drafted him in 2019 and let him leave in free agency this offseason.
Dean had already been a strong addition for the Steelers but his 40-yard interception return in the fourth quarter took that to another level. For someone who had a lot of emotions returning to face the only team he'd known in the NFL, Dean called it "bittersweet" to do that to the Tampa Bay fans — not too bitter, though.
"More on the sweeter side," Dean smiled. "It was a good feeling. Because I was telling myself, how ironic would it be if I get a pick-six against the Bucs in this stadium? My last pick-six was here last year, so I said that would be kind of interesting to be on the opposite team and do it. But I was close."
In retrospect, Dean wishes he would've tried to dive farther to break the plane and get to the end zone. Nonetheless, he couldn't have scripted his homecoming much better than that.
Pick for pick
Dean came into the game questionable with an ankle injury, and admitted that the plan was for him to test it out for the first two series before deciding whether to play the entire game. When Dean did take a rest on the Buccaneers' third possession, it was rookie Daylen Everette who checked in for him, and Tampa Bay attacked him on that drive.
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Everette was in there again, and on a day that Dean got his first Steelers interception, Everette got his first in the NFL. Everette picked off Jalon Daniels on a 3rd-and-7 throw intended for Emeka Egbuka, setting up the Steelers with a short field that led to a Chris Boswell field goal.
"I didn't end that drive the way I wanted to," Everette said of his initial game action. "I was just waiting for another opportunity to get out there."
The man of the hour
Jalen Ramsey has made a career out of picking off passes himself, but Sunday, it was his blitzing ways that put him in the spotlight. Playing through a wrist injury, Ramsey tallied two sacks, one on the first series of the game and one on the last to walk it off.
Ramsey had a sack earlier this season that was negated by an offsides penalty elsewhere on the defense. This time he made his pass rushes count, timing up the snap and navigating to the quarterback like a homing device. He finished with an eye-popping stat line of 10 tackles (9 solo), 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 2 quarterback hits as defensive coordinator Patrick Graham utilizes him in different ways.
"We were all aligned with what calls we'd be going with in crunch time," said Ramsey, who also had a multi-sack game last year in a home win against the Browns. "We tried to mix it up here and there. PG called a great call, he trusted me, and I was able to make a great play."
Don't forget about them
Dean, Everette and Ramsey may have made the most momentous plays in the game, but a number of Steelers defenders did their part throughout to keep the Buccaneers at bay.
There was Keeanu Benton setting the tone from the start, with two tackles for loss and two batted passes. He technically didn't get credit for a second pass defended because the quarterback actually caught the deflection, then got dropped by Benton behind the line of scrimmage. Then Nick Herbig notched his first two sacks of the season. And Yahya Black, known more for his run-stuffing, recorded his first NFL sack after corralling Daniels before he could get back to the line of scrimmage late in the first half.
"Man, these guys work hard," said T.J. Watt, who's typically the one filling up the box score. "We all work so hard, and to be able to see it pay off — no matter the circumstances — is huge."
