Three most dangerous Buccaneers the Pittsburgh Steelers will play in Week 3

Ryan Fitzpatrick

When Jameis Winston was suspended for four games, many media members and analysts alike said the Buccaneers would be lucky to escape with even one win in their first four games. After all, their first four games include at New Orleans, two home games against Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, then traveling to Chicago.

Well, the Buccaneers put up a 48-spot on the improved New Orleans defense in the Superdome and defeated the Carson Went-less defending Super Bowl champions in week two. Now, they welcome the reeling 0-1-1 Steelers. And the biggest reason for their early success is veteran fringe-starter Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick has looked like anything but a fringe-starter in the first two weeks. He’s completed 48 of 61 passes, a whopping 78.7 completion percentage, for 819 yards, along with eight touchdown passes to only one interception. Yeah, that’s a near perfect quarterback rating at 151.5.

The Buccaneers have given the reigns of the offense to Fitzpatrick, and the offense is running through him at the time being. The Tampa Bay run game is almost non-existent, yet the Buccaneers keep having success throwing the ball.

For a secondary that just got lit up by Patrick Mahomes at home, this is a huge red flag even if Joe Haden returns to the lineup. And if the pass rush struggles like it did in week two, Fitzpatrick will have more than enough time to find some stellar weapons he has at his disposal.