The Pittsburgh Steelers erased a 16-3 fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-19 in overtime Oct. 18.
The comeback was fueled by a defense that started forcing Tampa Bay quarterback Jalon Daniels into costly mistakes, along with a passing game that overcame an ugly first half in which quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Co. could not move the ball with any consistency.
Here’s a look at some notable numbers from the outing via Pro Football Focus, the scouting website for whom evaluators grade players for every snap of every game on a 1-100 scale.
Germie Bernard (67.7)
The thing that stands out most from the rookie’s career-best performance of 11 catches for 87 yards
and the game-winning touchdown against Tampa Bay is how much of it was in his hands. Literally. Bernard’s average depth of target (ADOT) for the day was a miniscule 1.8 yards. On average, that shouldn’t translate to much production at all, because it puts the onus on the receiver to gain meaningful yardage after the catch. Bernard managed to pick it up in chunks all day, though, to finish with a YAC total of 68. The Steelers would probably prefer for him to become more of a downfield threat – his ADOT of 5.1 yards is a major reason his season grade is a pedestrian 61.2. If he can continue to build chemistry with Rodgers, however, he could be a valuable weapon in this Mike McCarthy offense that is increasingly leaning on short, quick passes.
Cam Heyward (85.8)
The 37-year-old got off to a slower start than we’re used to with just five pressures in the first three games of 2026. He also had just three stops – defined by PFF as plays that result in failure for the opposing offense – in that span. In the past three games, however, he’s turned it on with 11 pressures, five stops and two performances graded at 85.8 or better. Heyward has finished with a season grade of at least 84.4 in eight of the past nine seasons, so he’s taking major steps back toward the level of dominance that may some day lift him to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If there’s a lingering concern, it’s that Heyward hasn’t found a way to get home against opposing quarterbacks nearly as often yet. He has just one sack so far, putting him on pace for three over the course of the season. That would be his lowest output ever over a fully healthy season in which he held a starting role throughout.
Troy Fautanu (66.5 season grade)
Four more pressures allowed against Tampa Bay, including a sack and quarterback hit on Rodgers, brought the third-year tackle’s total to 17 this season. Only 11 tackles league-wide have allowed more. Granted, only two tackles have taken more pass blocking snaps, so some of that leakiness is a product of the pure volume of passing that coach Mike McCarthy’s offense is doing right now. Still, Fautanu hasn’t taken that next step toward being a cornerstone as the Steelers hoped he might be when they invested a first-round NFL draft pick in him back in 2024. That’s especially true when you consider that his pass blocking grade of 69.6 is well ahead of his run blocking grade of 57.7. He’s shown virtually no growth in either category since his rookie season. He’s less volatile than former teammate and 2023 first rounder Broderick Jones was, but it’s hard to see the upside that matches the draft capital used to acquire him right now. Rookie Max Iheanachor (68.9) is already grading better.
Jamel Dean (84.9)
The Steelers have had a major problem getting production from veteran cornerbacks they’ve signed or traded for in recent years. From Patrick Peterson to Steven Nelson to Donte Jackson to Darius Slay last season, they’ve been ordinary at best and flat-out bad at worst after joining the team. Dean’s trajectory wasn’t promising either before Sunday. He’d missed most of two of the previous three games with an injury and was picked on by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in the third. It wasn’t what the Steelers hoped for when they signed him to a three-year, $36.7 million contract in March. He rose to the occasion against Tampa Bay, though. It wasn’t just his interception that set up the game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter. Daniels tested Dean in his return from injury with 11 targets on the afternoon. He allowed just four catches for 48 yards on those plays and permitted just five yards after the catch. It was a great outing that lifted his season grade to a very solid 86.2. If he can stay healthy, he may be the veteran to break the front office’s streak of bad luck at this position.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steelers PFF grades: Germie Bernard shines; Troy Fautanu stagnates
