After Sunday’s overtime win against the Buccaneers in Tampa, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a formal complaint to file.
His grievance du jour centered on the quality of the grass field at Raymond James Stadium.
“It’s got to be one of the worst surfaces in the league,” Rodgers told reporters. “And, you know, we’re talking about player safety. You know, I’m very thankful to not get hurt. I’ve gotten hurt twice on this field. You know, in my opinion, because of the turf. Now, I know USF plays here, I believe. But that surface, you know, it’s . . . I don’t think it’s very safe.”
Not all grass fields are created equal. The grass vs. turf debate implies that the grass will be high quality. In Tampa, Rodgers believes it isn’t.
Last year, the quality of the grass on Rodgers’s home field in Pittsburgh was an issue — and Rodgers wasn’t afraid to say so, calling it “borderline unplayable.”
The issues in Pittsburgh apparently have been addressed. In Tampa, Rodgers thinks the same thing needs to happen.
Bucs Clips
Nothing was going right for the Steelers on Sunday. They trailed the Buccaneers 16-3 in the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh won 26-19 in overtime.
The Steelers are 4-2 and the Bucs 1-5.
The Steelers dominated the fourth quarter, gaining 230 yards and forcing two Jalon Daniels interceptions. Their fourth-quarter scoring drives were 68, 24, 37 and 2 yards.
Chris Boswell’s 58-yard field goal tied the game 16-16 with 1:55 left. Two plays later, former Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean intercepted Daniels. Dean went 40 yards with the return of the errant pass before Daniels pushed him out of bounds at the Tampa Bay 3.
The Steelers couldn’t get it into the end zone, but Boswell’s 20-yard kick with 1:21 left gave the Steelers their first lead.
They left too much time for the Bucs, though, as Tampa Bay needed only a field goal to send the game to overtime.
With eight seconds left, Chase McLaughlin kicked a 53-yard field goal to tie it 19-19. It was McLaughlin’s fourth field goal of the day, with the others from 43, 47 and 52 yards.
The Steelers got the overtime kickoff, and Aaron Rodgers got his seventh overtime win with a 12-play, 70-yard drive that burned 6:45 of the 10-minute period. He threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Germie Bernard for the game-winner.
The Bucs drove across midfield, but on fourth-and-8 with 1:06 remaining, Jalen Ramsey sacked Daniels to end it. Ramsey had two sacks as did Nate Herbig.
The Bucs sacked Rodgers five times and frustrated him for most of the game. But he finished 33-of-49 for 253 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. DK Metcalf caught 11 passes for 93 yards, and Bernard had 11 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown.
The Steelers outgained the Bucs 300 to 224.
Daniels was 22-of-43 for 164 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Aaron Rodgers threw his 538th career touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter. It has him within one of tying Peyton Manning for third on the all-time list.
It has the Steelers within 16-10 of the Bucs.
The Steelers drove 68 yards in eight plays for their first touchdown, a 5-yard throw by Rodgers to tight end Darnell Washington.
Pittsburgh had two big gainers on the drive: He hit DK Metcalf for a 17-yard gain on third-and-16, and then on the next play, Calijah Kancey was called for a roughing-the-passer penalty after a late shove sent the quarterback to the ground.
Rodgers is now 19-of-30 for 146 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy did not go into the locker room at halftime.
McCarthy limped off the field at the end of the first half.
He hobbled to the sideline medical tent with an ankle injury, according to the CBS broadcast, and McCarthy spent halftime seeking treatment.
He is back on the sideline calling the offensive plays in the second half.
The Steelers trail 13-3.
The Steelers didn’t have much go their way in the first half.
An Aaron Rodgers’ pass pinballed around before A’Shawn Robinson intercepted it for the Bucs; Chris Boswell missed a 48-yard field goal wide left; and Germie Bernard had a first down beyond the line of scrimmage before going backward to try to make more yards on fourth down, and the Steelers turned it over on downs.
The Steelers finally got on the board on the final play of the first half on Boswell’s 52-yard field goal.
Pittsburgh trails Tampa Bay 13-3 at halftime.
The Steelers outgained the Bucs 116 to 102 in the first half, but Tampa Bay scored on drives of 14, 60 and 33 yards.
Rookie Jalon Daniels, making his third career start, threw a 2-yard touchdown to wide receiver Emeka Egbuka for the game’s only touchdown.
Chase McLaughlin has field goals of 43 and 47 yards.
Daniels is 11-of-18 for 62 yards and a touchdown, with Chris Godwin catching three for 28. Bucky Irving has nine carries for 35 yards.
Rodgers is 12-of-19 for 78 yards and a pick, with Bernard catching six for 49. Rico Dowdle has five carries for 29 yards.
Jalon Daniels is proving last week’s victory over the Cowboys wasn’t a fluke.
Daniels has completed 8 of 11 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. His 2-yard toss to Emeka Egbuka has the Bucs holding a 10-0 lead against the Steelers.
The Bucs used A’Shawn Robinson’s interception of Aaron Rodgers on a pinball pass that was batted around for a six-play, 14-yard drive for a 43-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin. They went eight plays and 60 yards on their next drive.
Steelers cornerback Daylen Everette was called for a 22-yard pass interference penalty that set up the Bucs at the Pittsburgh 24.
Chris Godwin has three catches for 28 yards.
The Steelers have two punts, an interception and turned it over on downs in their four drives. They have 50 yards, with Rodgers going 4-of-8 for 17 yards and a pick.
Signs have pointed to Bears quarterback Caleb Williams making his return from a hamstring injury all week and it became official on Sunday morning.
Williams is active for the team’s 1 p.m. ET game in Atlanta. Williams missed three games after being injured in Chicago’s Week 2 loss to the Vikings and was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report, but he was a full participant in practice all this week and he posted a comeback-themed video to social media on Friday night.
Michael Penix will be the other quarterback on Sunday. Penix was forced out of last weekend’s loss to the Ravens with injured ribs, but he was also a full practice participant and he had no injury designation.
Bears at Falcons
Bears: RB Kyle Monangai, CB Tyrique Stevenson, LB T.J. Edwards, LB Keyshaun Elliott, OL Jordan McFadden, DL Jayden Loving, QB Case Keenum
Falcons: QB Cooper Rush, QB Jack Strand, CB C.J. Henderson, DB Malcolm DeWalt, LB Christian Harris, OL Ethan Onianwa, DE Drake Jackson
Ravens at Browns
Ravens: QB Lamar Jackson, C Cam Jurgens, DT Broderick Washington, TE Matt Hibner, WR Elijah Sarratt, G Andrew Vorhees, S K’Von Wallace
Browns: RB Quinshon Judkins, QB Taylen Green, CB Noah Igbinoghene, DT Mike Hall Jr., C Parker Brailsford, G Teven Jenkins, DT Mason Graham
Titans at Colts
Titans: CB Alontae Taylor, S Kevin Winston, OT Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, TE Kylen Granson, RB Nick Singleton, DL Jackie Marshall, DL Jordan Elliott
Colts: LB Jaylon Carlies, WR Ashton Dulin, QB Riley Leonard, G Dalton Tucker, TE Tyler Warren
Jets at Patriots
Jets: RB Breece Hall, DL Jack Heflin, WR Adonai Mitchell, LB Joseph Ossai, G Dylan Parham, CB Nahshon Wright
Patriots: QB Behren Morton, TE Tanner Arkin, OT Dametrious Crownover, CB Carlton Davis, CB Karon Prunty, CB Channing Canada
Saints at Giants
Saints: QB Zach Wilson, LB Anfernee Jennings, S Mike Reid, LB Kaden Elliss, DL Nathan Shepherd, DL John Ridgeway
Giants: CB Colton Hood, QB Jake Haener, S Tyler Nubin, OT Jermaine Eluemunor, TE Theo Johnson, DL C.J. Okoye
Panthers at Eagles
Panthers: OT Monroe Freeling, TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, QB Haynes King, RB AJ Dillon, G Torricelli Simpkins, OT Albert Reese, DT TeRah Edwards
Eagles: WR Hollywood Brown, QB Joe Milton, RB Saquon Barkley, DB Michael Carter, LB A.J. Epenesa, LB Jalyx Hunt
Steelers at Buccaneers
Steelers: WR Ben Skowronek, QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, RB Eli Heidenreich, CB Terell Smith, DL Kevin Jobity
Buccaneers: DL DeMonte Capehart, G Luke Haggard, QB Baker Mayfield, CB Benjamin Morrison, G Billy Schrauth, RB Sean Tucker, S Antoine Winfield Jr.
Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson will be out of the lineup for an extended period of time.
Wilson was placed on injured reserve Saturday due to the finger injury that led the team to rule him out of Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. Wilson will now have to miss at least four games before he will be able to return to action.
Wilson has 14 catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns on the season. He joins Michael Pittman Jr. on the injured reserve list and Ben Skowronek has also been ruled out for this week.
The Steelers elevated a pair of wideouts from the practice squad to help fill out the group. Brandon Smith and Brandon Johnson will both be available Sunday before reverting back.
Running back Lew Nichols was signed off of the practice squad to take Wilson’s roster spot.
Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf’s status for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers is in some doubt.
Metcalf did not practice on Friday due to an illness and the Steelers listed him as questionable to play on their final injury report of Week 6. Metcalf has 19 catches for 225 yards on the season.
The change in status comes at a time when the Steelers are already thin at receiver. Roman Wilson (finger) and Ben Skowronek (calf) were ruled out earlier this week and Michael Pittman Jr. is on injured reserve. Metcalf’s illness means rookies Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen are the only healthy wideouts on the 53-man roster.
The Steelers also listed defensive tackle Keeanu Benton (ankle), cornerback Jamel Dean (ankle), running back Rico Dowdle (toe), and cornerback Jalen Ramsey (wrist) as questionable. Benton and Dowdle were both full participants in Friday’s practice.
Safety DeShon Elliott (knee) will not be activated from injured reserve for Sunday’s game.
The Buccaneers made a late addition to their injury report for Sunday’s game against the Steelers.
Linebacker Josiah Trotter is considered questionable to play after being limited in practice by a knee injury. Trotter also missed Week 3 with a knee injury.
Trotter was a second-round pick this year and has started three of the four games he’s played. He has 40 tackles, a sack and an interception return for a touchdown.
Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson confirmed on Thursday that quarterback Baker Mayfield will miss his third straight game with a dislocated right thumb. The Bucs also ruled out safety Antoine Winfield (rib) and wide receiver David Sills (hamstring).
Cornerback Benjamin Morrison (quad) is listed as doubtful while linebacker SirVocea Dennis (ankle, foot), cornerback Ayden Garnes (ankle), and running back Sean Tucker (quad) join Trotter with questionable tags.
