Steelers-Buccaneers NFL Week 3: What You Need To Know

PITTSBURGH, PA - Questions abound for the Steelers again this week after their murky 0-1-1 start to the season: Will the Steelers finally get their first win of the season? Will disgruntled wide receiver Antonio Brown skip the game like he did a team meeting on Monday? Will absent running back Le’Veon Bell watch the game from the Miami nightclub he has been frequenting of late of will he spend the evening jet skiing?

Surprisingly, the Steelers are favorites in their Monday Night Football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite the fact that they are on the road and are facing one of the NFL’s hottest quarterbacks in Ryan Fitzpatrick. He’s a career journeyman, true, but in the first two weeks of the season he’s thrown eight touchdowns with just one interception. The Steelers’ porous defense gave up six touchdown passes last week to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, so there’s legitimate cause for concern about going up against Fitzpatrick..

Amind all the questions surrounding the team, there is one certainty: The Steelers desperately need a win. If they don’t get it, they’re looking at bringing an 0-2-1 record into next week’s matchup against the archrival Baltimore Ravens, who essentially could end the Steelers’ hopes of making the playoffs this season even before September ends.

Here’s what you need to know about the game:

• Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

• When: Monday, 8:15 p.m.

• Forecast: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, temperatures in the 80s.

• Favored: Steelers by 1, according to footballlocks.com..

• Last meeting: Sept. 28, 2014, Buccaneers won 27-24.

• All-time series: Steelers lead 8-2

• Streak: Tampa Bay won the last game, the Steelers won the previous four meetings..

• TV: ESPN with announcers Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters.

• Radio: WDVE-FM with Bill Hillgrove and Tunch Ilkin.

Photo: Getty Images.

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