Buccaneers' Todd Bowles gives glowing praise for Rachaad White after Seahawks win
Many were wondering how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense would manage without Bucky Irving in the run and pass game, given how potent No. 7 is with the ball.
But the offense put up points for fun, in a 38-35 win over the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field, with Rachaad White taking the lead role and running with it.
White would rush for 41 yards and two touchdowns from 14 carries while hauling in four receptions for 30 yards in the pass game to help push Baker Mayfield and Co. up and down the field.
For head coach Todd Bowles, he was full of praise for what Rachaad was able to do.
"He played a tough game," Bowles said. "He had some good runs. He had some good plays on the screens, He punched it in, Bucky [Irving] and Rachaad are one A, one B. We don't have a number two. So, he stepped in and just number one all by himself today, and he done it before. He did it again."
Buccaneers bounce back in stunning fashion
It was a genuine game of "whoever had the ball last, wins," and it was Mayfield and the Buccaneers needing another game-winning drive, and of course, Baker obliged.
He led a seven-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to tie things up at 35-35 before a Sam Darnold interception put Tampa Bay in field goal range, and Mayfield milked the clock for the game-winning field goal.
White's experience as a starter certainly helped the Buccaneers in Seattle, and we are seeing the huge benefit Tampa Bay has with two star backs in their system.
Now 4-1, Tampa Bay can feel good about its opening five weeks and feel even better about having Rachaad on the roster.
Steelers head out of their bye with a massive win in Week 5 despite Pittsburgh not playing a game
The first thing every team does when the NFL schedule is released in May, is take a look at their bye week. The Pittsburgh Steelers, having the earliest possible bye, we're probably less than pleased on first glance.
In reality, the bye came at a pretty good time. Coming off an overseas trip that saw the team end the first month of the season 3-1 and battered with injuries, there is probably little complaining on the southside of Pittsburgh right now.
That is especially true when considering what happened to the rest of the AFC North on Sunday.
Steelers build on AFC North lead after the rest of the AFC North loses on Sunday
The Steelers have an opportunity in front of them that they cannot squander. They play the Cleveland Browns in Week 6 before taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 on Thursday night. If they can win both of those games, with the way the Baltimore Ravens are playing and no Joe Burrow in Cincy, the Steelers can put a chokehold on the division lead before Halloween.
Maybe that sounds hyperbolic, but the Bengals cannot win without Joe Burrow. The Ravens can have Lamar Jackson or Dan Marino at quarterback, and it still wouldn't matter with how bad their defense is. As for the Browns, well we know they are the Browns.
So if you're the Steelers, you cannot waste what's in front of you. Pittsburgh and Mike Tomlin cannot afford to play down to their competition the way they have for the past decade. Pittsburgh has to keep its foot on the gas and aim for the division crown.
In order to see what an outside observer thinks of the Steelers' chances, I reached out to Adam Holt who helps cover the AFC North at A to Z Sports.
Steelers can't afford to get comfortable
"In the NFL, it’s tough to have an awesome weekend when you don’t hit the gridiron. That’s exactly how the Steelers probably feel right now, though. They had an early bye week to give some rest to banged up players and possibly get some back from injury in Week 6."
"Additionally, the entire AFC North embarrassed themselves in some capacity. The Ravens were completely lifeless on both sides of the football against Houston. Without Lamar Jackson and key defensive starters, they are no threat in the division. The Browns blew a late lead to the Vikings to begin action on Sunday morning. The Bengals are still having major issues on defense, and their offense looks much weaker with Jake Browning at quarterback. He’s turning the ball over a ton, and that’s a trend, not an anomaly now."
"Pittsburgh can’t sit back and get comfortable here, though. They need to continue winning games they should and find ways to improve their roster in smart ways at the trade deadline, especially in the secondary and at potentially wide receiver depth." - Holt
So it feels like their is alignment here. The Steelers have to grab the bull by the horns. They have to pounce instead of play with their food. That starts with showing they can beat inferior opponents the next two weeks.
