Even though they're only 5 games into the regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have already entered 'must-win' territory. As would be the case for any team that opened the season with 4 consecutive losses.
The Bucs do have some positive momentum, though, as they're coming off an impressive victory in Dallas over the Cowboys last Thursday night. Not only did undrafted rookie QB Jalon Daniels impress in his second NFL game, but the Bucs managed to contain the Cowboys' most dangerous weapons, holding each of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens well below their expected output and allowing the Bucs to secure a much needed victory on the road.
If the Buccaneers hope to kickstart a winning streak, they'll need to do the same against the Steelers at home and limit the damage from Pittsburgh's most dangerous players. Let's take a closer look at who those players are and how the Bucs could achieve that:
RB Jaylen Warren
There's little doubt about which player Todd Bowles' defense should be most concerned about on Sunday.
Jaylen Warren has always had explosive ability, but he was mostly used as a change of pace back under Mike Tomlin. Now that he's finally been given the keys to the backfield, Warren has taken that opportunity and run with it... literally.
Warren currently ranks third in the NFL in total yards from scrimmage with 640 and he's undoubtedly established himself as the team's most dynamic offensive weapon. Not only is Warren averaging an impressive 5.7 yards per carry running the football, but he's also been the team's greatest weapon as he leads the team in both receptions (19) and receiving yards (230).
Warren appears to be gaining confidence as he continues to earn more touches. He had arguably his best game as a pro last week vs. Indianapolis, where he exploded for 188 yards and 1 TD.
EDGE T.J. Watt
Despite having a relatively quiet 2025 season (at least by his standards) T.J. Watt has wasted no time reminding everyone why he remains one of the NFL's truly elite edge defenders. Although his 4.5 sacks are tied for the sixth most in the league, Watt is impacting the game in other ways this year, too.
According to PFF, Watt has been the best run defender among all edge rushers so far this year with an outstanding 92.1 run defense grade. Watt has been an extremely well-rounded player in 2026, producing 13 tackles, 6 TFLs and 7 QB hits to go along with 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. Watt also has an interception this year, which he returned 35 yards for a TD to help seal a Steelers' victory against the Falcons back in Week 1.
The point is that T.J. Watt is still a game wrecker, and the Buccaneers will need to account for his presence at all times. If not? Watt could single-handedly turn the tide in his team's favor.
QB Aaron Rodgers
Some people may roll their eyes when they see Aaron Rodgers listed as one of the Steelers' most dangerous players, but the truth is, he's still got what it takes to lead his team to victories.
Rodgers has quietly played some pretty good football over the past few weeks, as the 42-year-old has now thrown three TD passes in each of his last three games. Rodgers is currently fifth in the league with 11 TD passes this year and 11th in total passing yards with 1,234.
Although Rodgers is very much immobile at this point of his career, he's still got more than enough arm talent to make every throw on the field. He also processes the game at an elite level, which is a big reason why he's been able to find so much success this season despite a really underwhelming group of pass catchers to work with.
If the Bucs aren't strategic with the looks they give Rodgers, both in coverage and pressure packages, he will make them pay.
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