TAMPA, Fla. — For three quarters at Raymond James Stadium, Sunday’s game looked like Tampa Bay’s long-awaited breakthrough. Then Aaron Rodgers took over, and the Pittsburgh Steelers left Florida with a 26-19 overtime win that the Buccaneers will be replaying for a long time.

The Bucs led 16-3 heading into the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh then outscored them 23-3 over the final period and overtime. The Steelers moved to 4-2 and picked up their first road win of the season. Tampa Bay fell to 1-5.

A Quarterback Missing in Tampa

The Bucs’ season has been shaped by the absence of their franchise quarterback. Baker Mayfield dislocated his throwing thumb late in a Week 3 loss to Minnesota, which dropped Tampa Bay to 0-3, its first such start since 2014. It came just weeks after he signed a three-year extension averaging $55 million per year.

Mayfield was initially expected to miss three weeks, and possibly as many as six. He pushed hard to return against Pittsburgh but didn’t practice early in the week, and in the end the Bucs held him out. That left the job to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, who had already led Tampa Bay to its first win of the season, a Thursday-night upset in Dallas.

Daniels gave his team every chance to win. Tampa Bay built its lead on field goals and a steady, mistake-free start, and the Steelers’ offense couldn’t get going. Pittsburgh had only three points through three quarters. A defense that had been rated an underdog’s best hope was doing exactly what the Bucs needed.

The Turn

The momentum shifted late in the third quarter. Pittsburgh put together an eight-play, 68-yard drive, finished by a Rodgers touchdown pass to tight end Darnell Washington, and the score became 16-10.

The Steelers’ defense then took over. Daylen Everette and Jamel Dean each intercepted Daniels. Dean’s pick carried extra meaning: he spent seven seasons in Tampa Bay before signing with Pittsburgh in free agency, and it was his first interception as a Steeler. Tampa Bay managed only 32 yards of offense in the fourth quarter.

Kicker Chris Boswell did the rest, hitting three fourth-quarter field goals, including a 58-yarder with under two minutes left that tied the game at 16. The Steelers took a 19-16 lead, and the Bucs were left with a final chance.

Regulation’s Wild Finish

Pittsburgh nearly gave the game away. With the score tied late in regulation, the Steelers threw twice near the goal line instead of running the ball and draining the clock. That decision drew criticism from Steelers writers afterward, who argued the team should have forced Tampa Bay to burn its timeouts and left it almost no time to answer.

Tampa Bay took advantage. Chase McLaughlin drilled a 53-yard field goal with eight seconds left, tying the score at 19 and sending the game to overtime.

Rodgers Takes Over

What followed was the clearest demonstration of why Rodgers is still among the league’s most valuable players.

In overtime, Pittsburgh marched 70 yards over 12 plays and 6:45. Rodgers capped the drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Germie Bernard, the first touchdown of Bernard’s career. DK Metcalf was the other key target. He caught 11 passes for 93 yards, including a third-down conversion in overtime that kept the drive alive.

It was the kind of drive that has defined Rodgers’s career: patient, precise, and unhurried while everything around him is chaotic. Before the game, Tampa Bay’s defense was warned about a quarterback who had thrown three touchdown passes in each of his previous three games. Rodgers had a quiet first three quarters, but he was most dangerous when the game was on the line. That is the quality that separates elite quarterbacks from merely good ones: the ability to be ordinary for 45 minutes and then decisive when it matters.

His supporting cast was thin. Pittsburgh entered the game short on wide receivers, and a rookie made the winning catch. Rodgers still found a way to get the ball to the right people at the right time. At this stage of his career, he is a veteran who reads defenses, trusts his preparation, and makes the throws that win games.

Ramsey Seals Tampa Bay needed a touchdown to extend the game, and the Steelers’ defense made sure it didn’t get one. On fourth-and-8 with 1:06 remaining, cornerback Jalen Ramsey came on a blitz and sacked Daniels to end the game. Pittsburgh’s defense forced multiple turnovers and made the key stop when it counted.

Rodgers and the defense carried Pittsburgh through a game where the offense had little going for most of the afternoon. The Steelers had won only by finishing. After trailing by 13 points, they got timely turnovers, a kicker who found his rhythm, and a veteran quarterback who delivered at the end.

What It Means

For Pittsburgh, the win is the first road victory of the season and the team’s first winning streak, following a 34-22 win over the Colts the week before. There are still issues to address, especially late-game clock management and an offense that is still searching for its identity. But the Steelers are 4-2, and Rodgers has the offense moving in the right direction.

For Tampa Bay, the loss stings more than most. The Bucs outplayed the Steelers for most of the afternoon and may have lost because of a handful of late mistakes. At 1-5, their playoff hopes are slim. The one bright spot is Daniels, who showed poise in a hostile spot. If Mayfield returns soon, the Bucs will have a healthy franchise quarterback and a promising young backup.

Next up for the Steelers is a trip to New Orleans on Oct. 25. Tampa Bay will try to bounce back against a division opponent. For one afternoon at least, Aaron Rodgers reminded the league that, no matter how a game begins, he knows how to finish it.