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Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: PFM Team Comparison

The Pittsburgh Steelers hold a slight overall advantage over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the current PFM ratings. Pittsburgh separates itself through the stronger coaching operation.

Current PFM Team Scores

Slight edgePIT

Pittsburgh Steelers

80.0PFM Team Score#13 NFL
TB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

79.2PFM Team Score#17 NFL
HEAD-TO-HEAD RESULTS

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Previous Meetings

Pittsburgh Steelers lead the recorded series 1–0 over 1 meetings.

Pittsburgh Steelers1 wins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers0 wins
Recorded meetings1

Recent Meetings

DateMatchupFinalWinner
Oct 18, 2026Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers26–19Pittsburgh Steelers
  1. Oct 18, 20262026 season
    Pittsburgh SteelersAway26 – 19Tampa Bay BuccaneersHome
    Pittsburgh Steelers won

Results shown: 2026. Scores since 1999: nflverse (CC BY 4.0). Earlier meetings that have not been verified are excluded.

Swap Teams Clear Comparison
PFM JUDGMENT

Why PFM Rates the Pittsburgh Steelers Higher

The staff edge favors the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike McCarthy gives the team steadier direction than Tampa Bay has on the sideline. Tampa Bay's strongest counterargument is QB Stability. Quarterback is the clearest separator. Baker Mayfield gives Tampa Bay more certainty than the Pittsburgh Steelers have at the position.

Pittsburgh still holds the overall PFM Team Score lead by 0.8 points. The Pittsburgh Steelers still deserves the higher PFM rating.

TEAM DNA COMPARISON

Pittsburgh vs. Tampa Bay Across the Core Pillars

The farther a team reaches, the stronger the rating. Each category also calls out which team has the edge and the exact gap. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team.

PITPittsburgh Steelers
TBTampa Bay Buccaneers
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team DNA comparisonPFM category scores on a 0 to 100 scale. QB Stability: Pittsburgh Steelers 74.2, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.8, edge TB +4.6; Offense: Pittsburgh Steelers 78.8, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.9, edge TB +1.1; Defense: Pittsburgh Steelers 85.9, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 84.0, edge PIT +1.9; Coaching Direction: Pittsburgh Steelers 84.2, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 76.8, edge PIT +7.4; Roster Depth: Pittsburgh Steelers 78.2, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.7, edge TB +0.5. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team at a time.
Hover or tap a team to focus that profile. Use Show Both to bring the overlay back.
THE COUNTERARGUMENT

Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Best Argument

Baker Mayfield gives the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the steadier quarterback room. That lets the offense stay on schedule without asking the rest of the team to cover constant uncertainty. That is why the overall gap is smaller than the score first suggests. Pittsburgh still answers with the stronger coaching operation, which keeps the overall judgment in place.

COMPLETE COMPARISON

Where Each Team Has the Edge

PFM Team Score

PIT80.0
Pittsburgh Steelers 80.0
TB79.2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.2
Slight Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Overall NFL Rank

PIT#13
Pittsburgh Steelers #13
TB#17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #17
Pittsburgh Steelers ranks higher

QB Stability

PIT74.2
Pittsburgh Steelers 74.2
TB78.8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.8
Clear Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Roster Strength

PIT78.2
Pittsburgh Steelers 78.2
TB78.7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.7
Slight Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Coaching Direction

PIT84.2
Pittsburgh Steelers 84.2
TB76.8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 76.8
Clear Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Recent Performance

PIT86.2
Pittsburgh Steelers 86.2
TB80.6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 80.6
Clear Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Offense

PIT78.8
Pittsburgh Steelers 78.8
TB79.9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.9
Slight Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Defense

PIT85.9
Pittsburgh Steelers 85.9
TB84.0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 84.0
Slight Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Franchise Direction

PIT74.9
Pittsburgh Steelers 74.9
TB75.2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75.2
Slight Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Explosiveness

PIT75.9
Pittsburgh Steelers 75.9
TB74.2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 74.2
Slight Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Conference Rank

PIT#7
Pittsburgh Steelers #7
TB#8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #8
Pittsburgh Steelers ranks higher

Division Rank

PIT#2
Pittsburgh Steelers #2
TB#1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranks higher

Outlook

PITPlayoff ContenderTBIn the Playoff Mix
Stronger outlook: Pittsburgh Steelers
SCHEDULE CONTEXT

Which Team Has the Tougher Road?

Pittsburgh Steelers

Remaining schedule rank: #22

Toughest stretch: Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars

Strongest opponents: Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals

Next five difficulty: 80.8

View Pittsburgh Steelers Road Ahead

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Remaining schedule rank: #24

Toughest stretch: Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers

Strongest opponents: Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens

Next five difficulty: 77.9

View Tampa Bay Buccaneers Road Ahead

Pittsburgh has the tougher Road Ahead at No. 22. The strongest opponents include Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Cincinnati Bengals. Tampa Bay gains one meaningful schedule advantage, while Pittsburgh still owns the stronger football advantages elsewhere.

View the complete all-32 Road Ahead

Ratings and Schedule Freshness

PFM ratings updated November 3, 2026. Schedule data updated November 9, 2026.

How to Read This Comparison

PFM Team Score determines the overall order. The Team DNA comparison puts five core pillars on the same 0–100 scale, while the full rows show every current category.

PFM compares overall team strength rather than predicting one matchup. Road Ahead adds schedule context without changing PFM Team Score.

See the complete PFM NFL Team Rankings and methodology.

PFM ratings updated
How PFM grades NFL teams