FitzMagic continues with a little help from his friends.
Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw his ninth touchdown of the season, finding tight end Cameron Brate for a 4-yard score and a 7-0 lead over the Steelers. It was Brate’s first catch of the season after he signed a six-year, $40.8 million extension in the offseason.
It capped a five-play, 53-yard drive, with the Bucs taking advantage of a Steelers turnover.
After the teams traded three-and-outs, Ben Roethlisberger threw a pass toward JuJu Smith-Schuster that Bucs safety Justin Evans timed perfectly. The pick set up the Bucs with a short field.
The Steelers answered, though, on their next drive with Vance McDonald turning a short throw into a 75-yard touchdown with a stiff arm of Bucs safety Chris Conte. Chris Boswell hit the right upright on the extra point, leaving the Bucs with a 7-6 lead with 5:48 remaining in the first quarter.
Roethlisberger now has hit 6-of-7 passes for 110 yards with a touchdown and an interception.