Vance McDonald caught the ball on Pittsburgh’s 35-yard line, looked up the field and saw that Chris Conte, a defensive back, was the only thing between him and the end zone. The big tight end reached out, grabbed Conte by the helmet and tossed him to the side before sprinting down the sideline for a 75-yard touchdown.
It was not the go-ahead play, and Monday’s game in Tampa, Fla., was decided more by Ryan Fitzpatrick’s three interceptions than anything the Steelers did on offense, but McDonald’s dispatching of Conte was fairly symbolic of the matchup. The Buccaneers got in the Steelers’ way, and Pittsburgh pushed them aside for a 30-27 victory, its first of the season.