PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers can be described in many ways - unpolished, frustrating, dizzying - among others.

But what you can’t use to describe the Steelers is the word ”loser.” Pittsburgh went into Raymond James Stadium and took down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving the Steelers their first road victory under new head coach Mike McCarthy.

Three quarters of the win were downright ugly. They entered the final 15 minutes down 16-3 with little hope, but exited with a 26-19 win. While this game is largely one they want to move on from, the one thing they can’t ignore is how much this defense lives and dies by two unexpected players.

The Steelers are now 4-2, and it’s all thanks to the play of veteran duo Jalen Ramsey and Jamel Dean. It’s clear now that the Steelers' defense goes the way of their championship-winning tandem.

Ramsey Revenge Tour

What an absolute masterpiece of a performance from defensive back Jalen Ramsey. It’s been clear all season long that the former All-Pro and Super Bowl winner has a chip on his shoulder, and his performance in Week 6 was a thing of beauty.

He posted 10 total tackles, including four tackles for loss and two sacks. His second sack of the game was a victory-sealing play for the Steelers, yet another example of Ramsey taking care of business for the Pittsburgh defense.

Ramsey is turning back the clock in 2026. Playing through a fractured wrist, he’s been the team’s best defender. Through six games, he has 37 total tackles, two sacks, two passes defended and a forced fumble. He’s making an impact at every level of the defense, and it’s leading the Steelers to wins they desperately need.

Dean Dominates in Coverage

After the Steelers traded Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys, the biggest question that emerged was how this secondary could take a step forward in pass coverage without their top cornerback.

The answer apparently was just waiting to get back on the field after missing Week 5. Dean was picture-perfect in his return to Tampa Bay. He recorded six passes defended and his first interception with the Steelers. He nearly took the interception back for a touchdown, only to be stopped at the 3-yard line by Buccaneers quarterback Jalon Daniels.

It wasn’t just that Dean was unbeatable in coverage, it was how clutch his performance was. That fourth quarter interception put the Steelers in front of the Bucs late in regulation. The offense failed to fully capitalize, but Dean took advantage of a rookie quarterback’s mistake at the perfect time.

That’s what the Steelers have been missing. They’ve long had their outside linebackers creating splash plays and carrying the team to victory, but it hasn’t been enough. The Steelers also needed their secondary to prove they can steal a game for the team.

That finally happened in Week 6, thanks to Jamel Dean and Jalen Ramsey. And if it wasn’t abundantly clear before, this defense starts and stops with its veteran tandem in the secondary.