Oct 16, 2026 3:00 PM

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face off with one of the best edge rushers in the NFL on Sunday, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and TJ Watt coming to town. How will Luke Goedeke and Tristan Wirfs hold up on the Bucs' exterior line?

Entering the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive line unit was projected to be a strength, with All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wrifs anchoring the bilndside and key contributors returning to full health.

While the overall protection has been shaky at times through the opening five weeks, the O-line remains one of the team's top units.

Right tackle Luke Goedeke, who Tampa selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, has been extremely consistent in pass protection, with Pro Football Focus (PFF) noting his impressive streak without surrendering a sack.

Trailing only Denver Broncos tackle Garett Bolles (1,077), Goedeke is second in the NFL with his 709 consecutive snaps without allowing a sack dating back to last season.

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Goedeke's continued good health will be crucial to keeping the line stable, as he returns from a severe foot injury suffered early in last season.

In Week 1 of last year, Goedeke suffered an injury, but was able to play through it in Week 2.

Ultimately, he aggravated the injury and had to exit the game, landing the former Central Michigan standout on the Injured Reserve list.

Goedeke would miss six games, and the Bucs' season went in a very different direction one he was sidelined.

Nevertheless, Goedeke has looked like he is back to full health through the early 2026 NFL season, carrying over momentum from a strong training camp.

Towards the end of training camp, rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. talked about competing against Goedeke each day, saying he "doesn't take it for granted" to play against "one of the best in the game."

While Goedeke is not usually mentioned in the top tier of NFL offensive tackles, his production certainly warrants the conversation.

On Tuesday, PFF listed the top offensive line units for pressure rate in the NFL, with Tampa topping the list (18.4%).

While this may seem surprising, the Bucs' offensive line has kept Jalon Daniels upright for the past two games, allowing just four sacks over the two matchups.

Heading into a Week 6 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers and former Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt, Daniels and the Bucs' offense will be relying on the boys up front to hold up.

Watt is among the league leaders with 4.5 sacks, and will always be highlighted as a player drawing double teams and extra attention.

The Bucs look to pick up their first home victory of the season against the Steelers on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

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