Bridgewater throws 2 TDs as the Buccaneers slip by Steelers

PITTSBURGH (AP) — For a high school football coach, Teddy Bridgewater can still sling it. The well-traveled Bridgewater threw for a pair of first-quarter touchdowns in Tampa Bay's 17-14 preseason win over Pittsburgh on Saturday night, thrusting himself into the competition with Kyle Trask to be Baker Mayfield's backup in the process. While Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles isn't quite ready to say whether there's now a choice to be made between Bridgewater and Trask, Bridgewater's performance less than two weeks after signing provided pretty compelling evidence that there's still plenty left in the 32-year-old's right arm. Bridgewater, who joined the Buccaneers last week after being suspended from his high school coaching job in Miami for self-reporting that he provided financial benefits to his players, was sharp in his three series of work. He completed 6 of 11 passes for 85 yards, hitting Bucky Irving for a 15-yard touchdown and later delivering a pretty 5-yard lob to the back corner of the end zone that rookie first-round pick Emeka Egbuka pulled in with a sliding grab from his knees. While Mayfield is firmly entrenched as the starter, Bridgewater looked capable while playing against a Pittsburgh defense that sat most of its key contributors, though he brushed aside the notion that he's looking to rise to No. 2 on the depth chart. "I'm just here to help this team in every way possible," said Bridgewater, who made it a point to give a shoutout to Northwestern High in Miami after a victory of its own this weekend. "I've been a humble servant throughout my career, playing and coaching." Chase McLaughlin hit a 42-yard field goal as time expired to win it for the Buccaneers (2-0). Tampa Bay linebacker Antonio Grier's 36-yard interception return — the Buccaneers' sixth pick in two weeks — set up the kick. A step forward Two days after a spirited joint practice in which nearly everyone — from Mayfield and wide receiver Mike Evans to Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt — participated, the spotlight shifted to younger players who will have an opportunity to make an impact on two veteran clubs that have been postseason regulars. Egbuka, the 19th overall pick in the draft, continued an impressive camp by slipping past Steelers cornerback Brandin Echols, then putting his left knee down just before it crossed into the white out-of-bounds paint. "He's like that every day in practice and it just carries over for him," Bowles said of Egbuka. Pittsburgh first-round pick Derrick Harmon earned his first sack of the preseason by swallowing up Trask for an 11-yard loss. Running back Kaleb Johnson, a third-round selection, took a significant step forward, rushing for 50 yards on 11 carries and showing flashes of the cutback ability that made him a star at Iowa. "The first game (against Jacksonville) I was really kind of timid reading the (defense)," Johnson said, who had just 20 yards on eight carries against the Jaguars the previous week. "We were talking all week about how I should be executing and doing better and progressing and developing over time, and I feel like I did that today." Wide receiver Roman Wilson, who missed all of his rookie season last year because of an injury, caught two passes for 72 yards for the Steelers (1-1). He beat two Tampa Bay defenders before hauling in a 42-yard rainbow from Rudolph. Wilson later put together a 30-yard catch-and-run on a night when teammate Calvin Austin III — who is competing with Wilson to be the No. 2 receiver opposite Metcalf — sat out with a minor injury. Back in a snap? Steelers defensive lineman Logan Lee filled in as the emergency long snapper after Christian Kunitz left in the first half with a chest injury. Lee hadn't long-snapped since he did a little bit of everything while playing at Orion High School in Orion, Illinois (current population: 1,714). The muscle memory came back (sort of), though Lee admitted there was one thing he learned during his crash course in doing it in the NFL. "I'm a defensive lineman for sure," Lee said with a laugh. Injuries Buccaneers: WR Jalen McMillan left in the first quarter with a back injury and was being evaluated for a concussion after landing on his head after being undercut by Steelers defensive back Daryl Porter. ... Backup safety Christian Izien injured his oblique. Steelers: LB Nick Herbig, who has become a valuable member of Pittsburgh's pass rush, left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return. Up next Buccaneers: host Buffalo next Saturday in the preseason finale for both teams. Steelers: wraps up the preseason with a trip to Carolina on Thursday. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL