The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have struggled against the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout their history, and Sunday's Week 6 matchup offers a chance to end a losing streak dating back more than a decade.
According to the Buccaneers' official head-to-head record, Pittsburgh leads the all-time series 10-2 and has won six of the last seven meetings. Tampa Bay's only victories came in 1998 and 2014, with the Steelers winning both matchups since the Buccaneers' last victory.
The series began in 1976, when Pittsburgh handed the expansion Buccaneers a 42-0 defeat during Tampa Bay's winless inaugural season. Pittsburgh won the first four meetings before Tampa Bay finally broke through in 1998 with a 16-3 victory at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers intercepted
quarterback Kordell Stewart three times that afternoon, while Mike Alstott scored the game's only touchdown on a three-yard run.
Tampa Bay's most recent victory came on September 28, 2014, when quarterback Mike Glennon connected with Vincent Jackson for a five-yard touchdown with seven seconds remaining, securing a 27-24 victory in Pittsburgh. That remains the Buccaneers' only road win against the Steelers.
Despite Pittsburgh's historical dominance, recent meetings have been much closer. Each of the last three games has been decided by three points or fewer, including Pittsburgh's 30-27 victory in 2018 and its 20-18 win in 2022. In that most recent matchup, Tom Brady connected with Leonard Fournette for a fourth-quarter touchdown, but Tampa Bay couldn't complete the comeback.
The Buccaneers enter Sunday's game at 1-4 after defeating the Dallas Cowboys 24-16 in Week 5, while Pittsburgh arrives at 3-2 following a 34-22 victory over Indianapolis. With Baker Mayfield sidelined by a thumb injury, rookie Jalon Daniels will once again lead Tampa Bay's offense against a Steelers defense featuring T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward.
Tampa Bay has never defeated Pittsburgh in consecutive meetings, and Sunday's game offers a chance to earn just its third victory in the series. More importantly, a win would give the Buccaneers their first consecutive victory of the season as they attempt to recover from their 0-4 start.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Buccaneers look to end troubling history against Steelers
