Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 Standouts from Week 3 vs. Buccaneers

2. OLB Ben Dupree

Cornerback Mike Hilton was around the football all evening, especially in the first half as the Pittsburgh Steelers forced four turnover in the first 30 minutes of the game. That included three first-half interceptions of veteran Buccaneers’ quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who came into the evening red-hot and still wound up throwing for 411 yards and three touchdowns.

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The seasoned signal-caller had thrown eight touchdown passes and only one interception during the club’s 2-0 start. That includes 400-plus yards and four scores in each victory over the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles. Hilton finished the night with five tackles, one pass defensed, a fumble recovery as well as a pick of Fitzpatrick.

But outside linebacker Bud Dupree made his presence felt consistently. He totaled three tackles (1 for a loss) and one of the club’s three sacks. He also had three more quarterback hits, deflected a pass and returned a Fitzpatrick interception 10 yards for a score late in the second quarter, which helped give the Steelers a 23-7 lead with 2:50 remaining in the first half.

Tampa’s running game finished with only 63 yards on 16 carries and Dupree help keep the heat on the Bucs’ veteran quarterback all evening. It wasn’t a great night for the Pittsburgh defense but this group made the necessarily plays down the stretch.