Mitch Trubisky might not have been the hero fans wanted Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. But it's the one they got.
And boy, did he deliver, as the Steelers upended Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, 20-18.
When Kenny Pickett was hit by Devin White Sunday afternoon and was slow to get up, fans didn't want to believe Mike Tomlin would be forced to go back to Trubisky. The last time the Steelers played at Acrisure Stadium, Trubisky was booed out of the stadium and out of the starting quarterback job. Tomlin made the switch to Pickett to "spark" the offense, and he didn't look back. The fans didn't either. This was Pickett's team.
So, fans started chanting, "KEN-NY, KEN-NY, KEN-NY," just as they did when they wanted Pickett starting over Trubisky. Only this time, the chants weren't directed at Tomlin. They were a collective plea to the football gods to spare Pickett's body of any injury.
Alas, Pickett suffered a concussion. It wouldn't be made official for another several minutes, but if the Steelers were going to pull off an upset over Brady and the Buccaneers, it would come with Trubisky running the offense.
That endeavor didn't get off to a great start. The drive Trubisky took over stalled out, then the offense went three and out on their next try. Once again, the home crowd grew restless.
But, with everything that transpired after that, we saw a version of Trubisky we hadn't seen to date.
"He showed how he was hungry. I felt like he was playing like he had something to prove. He did that," Diontae Johnson said. "He had a lot on his shoulders. He didn't let nothing shake him when the crowd was making noise. He kept his head in (the game). Don't listen to the crowd. Stay in the game. Stay poised when you're in the pocket. He showed that."
The first play that raised a few eyebrows came after a short 2-yard gain by Najee Harris and a failed sweep to Steven Sims that lost five yards. Pittsburgh was clinging to a 13-12 lead early in the fourth quarter and desperately needed to sustain the drive to thwart any momentum Tampa Bay was gaining.
On third-and-13, Trubisky did just as Johnson described. He remained poised in the pocket and fired a dart to George Pickens for a first down:
Then three plays later, Trubisky showed his situational awareness. Tampa Bay had 12 men on the field and tried desperately to get the extra player off the field before the snap. However, Trubisky snapped the ball in time for the referees to call too many men and offside penalties, giving Pittsburgh a free play. Trubisky took full advantage of it, finding a wide open Connor Heyward for a massive 45-yard gain:
"I knew we had 12 guys on the field, so it was a free play. The O-line did a great job. They knew it was a free play as well by just continuing to block and give me time," Trubisky said. "They really weren't set, and he was free down the seam, so he made a heads-up play. He just turned and getting ready for the ball and made a big play for the team."
Trubisky made sure this drive wouldn't squander another golden opportunity to score. Sims had previously set up the Steelers in the red zone with an 89-yard kick return, only to settle for a field goal. With the hunger as described by Johnson, Trubisky executed a play the Steelers had practiced during the week and connected with Chase Claypool in the end zone:
That touchdown reception was the first made by a receiver this season. It's only fitting that Trubisky, who started out the year as the starting quarterback, made the first touchdown pass to a receiver. The Steelers sure hope that helps get the receivers going a bit more this season.
"Definitely it should," Trubisky said. "I know they want touchdowns. We want touchdowns too. Hopefully it just shows us what we're capable of, we can continue to do more of it."
But, the Steelers didn't need another touchdown. Even when Brady led the Buccaneers down the field and scored a touchdown, Devin Bush broke up a two-point conversion attempt to preserve the Steelers' lead. With 4:38 on the clock, it was all about keeping Brady on the sideline.
And as good as Trubisky was during the touchdown drive, this is where he shined the brightest Sunday afternoon.
The ensuing drive started off in a disastrous way. While Harris gained eight yards on first down, Mason Cole delivered a bad snap to Trubisky that went past him and Harris, and the ball was in reach of a blitzing Tampa Bay defender. But, Trubisky allowed the offense to live to fight another down, falling on the fumble:
The loss of 13 yards set up third and 15, which seemed insurmountable. Yet, Trubisky delivered yet another strike to Claypool, who found a soft spot in the defense and managed to convert a first down:
Trubisky and Claypool weren't done. Another disaster on second down pushed the offense back to third and 11. Trubisky rolled to his left, read how Claypool was going to attack the Tampa Bay coverage, then put one on his back shoulder, and Claypool came down with arguably his most impressive catch in the NFL:
For the coup de grâce, Trubisky used his legs on a play that personified the hunger of which Johnson spoke. Trubisky kept the ball on a read option, broke a tackle, stiff armed a defender and essentially put the game on ice with this 9-yard gain:
That was the moment where Trubisky won over the crowd. The sheer fortitude to gain yardage and keep the clock running, nobody supporting the black and gold could refute that. It took the game to the two-minute warning, and on the other side of the stoppage, Trubisky converted the first down on a quarterback sneak to officially put the game on ice.
"It feels good," Trubisky said. "It feels good to win just as a team. To show my teammates what I'm capable of. But I think the best part is just seeing their joy and excitement after a hard-fought victory like that. We've had some up-and-downs the last couple weeks, but to have that feeling, that's what you chase every single week and hopefully it just continues to pull us together."
It hasn't been the easiest season for Trubisky. Since the time Franco Harris announced Pickett's name at the 2022 NFL Draft, the majority of Steelers Nation has preferred the first-round pick out of Pitt over the sixth-year veteran who spent last season with the Bills backing up Josh Allen. And since Tomlin made the switch, Trubisky has been nothing but an afterthought.
And to think, Pittsburgh was supposed to be Trubisky's reset. He was a former second overall pick. The talent has always been there, and he was the best quarterback in training camp and the preseason. It didn't carry over into the regular season, and it eventually spiraled into losing his job before the conclusion of the fourth game.
That was the last time Trubisky and the Steelers were in this stadium, and he was openly frustrated. He didn't want to be benched. It didn't matter if he thought he was deserving of it or not. He came to Pittsburgh to be a starting quarterback. So, he went by the 24-hour rule. He allowed the frustration to fester for the rest of that day, but went to the South Side the next day preparing to support Pickett and the team the best way he knew how.
"Win or lose, if something bad happens in the game you’ve just got to get back," Trubisky said. "What is most important to me is just being part of this team; the fact that I was voted captain. So, I knew, 24 hours you’ve got to shake it off, you’ve got to come in, be a leader and just continue to rally the guys. We had a tough couple weeks and we’ve got to continue working and hopefully build off this."
"He's been professional and class at every step of the way," Tomlin said after the game. "That's why I mentioned it repeatedly when you guys ask me about what's transpiring at the quarterback position. ... We are a collective team, and I appreciate the unselfishness of all of those guys throughout this process. That's why I repeatedly bring it up."
There was no mention by Tomlin or Trubisky after the game of who would be under center once Pickett clears concussion protocol, so the status quo should be a safe assumption.
But, at the very least, Trubisky should have earned the respect of those who witnessed his performance Sunday afternoon. And it's fitting that on a day where a defense ravaged by injury found a way to contain Brady, the offense found a way to get the job done when they had to go back to a quarterback few wanted anymore.
"It's going to take everybody on this team," Trubisky said. "We’ve got to continue to pull together. We’ve got some guys out. We need to get them back, but a lot of guys stepped up today, not just myself, and we pulled together and played like a team and that's why we won."
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Live file
• Scoreboard
• Schedule
• Standings
• Statistics
THE INJURIES
Hurt in the game: QB Kenny Pickett (concussion) and CB James Pierre (stinger) didn't return. DT Larry Ogunjobi (back) and C Mason Cole (foot) both returned. I've got a full report.
The inactives: S Minkah Fitzpatrick (concussion), TE Pat Freiermuth (concussion), CB Levi Wallace (concussion), CB Cam Sutton (hamstring), CB Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring), QB Mason Rudolph, G Kendrick Green
THE SCHEDULE
Here come trips to Miami and Philadelphia leading into the bye week. Buckle up.
THE MULTIMEDIA
THE CONTENT
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