PITTSBURGH — Tom Brady met his personal kryptonite on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.
It came in the form of ...
You'll never guess the player's identity in a million years.
"I'm 2-0 against him, perfect against him," Chris Wormley was saying after the Steelers' 20-18 win against Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"Beat him in 2019 when I was with Baltimore. I'm sure he looks at me and thinks, 'Oh, crap, there's Wormley on that side.' "
You should have seen the big man shake with laughter.
Brady might not know Wormley's name, but it's safe to say he found nothing humorous about the game, one of the worst he has played in his 80-year NFL career. Wormley, a reserve defensive lineman who had been criticized for not playing better against the run, was one of several Steelers backups or maligned players who helped to limit Brady's offense to one touchdown and four field goals. He stopped back Leonard Fournette for a 1-yard loss on a third-and-1 play early in the fourth quarter.
"Anytime you can contribute to the team, not just by doing your job but by going above and beyond, it's huge," Wormley said. "We had a lot of guys do that today."
Mike Tomlin singled out the play of his rebuilt secondary, which was without starters Cam Sutton, Ahkello Witherspoon, Levi Wallace and, most hurtful, Minkah Fitzpatrick. Tre Norwood played 71 of the 72 defensive snaps. James Pierre played 68. Josh Jackson played 59. Players named Quincy Wilson and Elijah Riley also found the field. You needed a scorecard to match their name with their number.
"Just can't say enough about what they were able to do collectively," Tomlin said. "I thought they did a really good job of letting our disguises work for us. We didn't have a big menu because we can't have a big menu."
Tomlin also pointed at Robert Spillane, who has been bashed for failing as both a run-stopping and covering linebacker. Spillane broke up what could have been a touchdown pass for tight end Cade Otton in the third quarter.
"[He] was critical today in terms of us being able to do things because he played positions other than inside linebacker," Tomlin said. "In some instances, he was representing a nickel. In some instances, he was representing a down safety. To be able to do that, I'm just appreciative of his intellect and his efforts."
There were other players who came up big when their contributions really weren't expected.
Larry Ogunjobi played his best game with two quarterback hurries and two tackles for loss. He stopped Fournette for a 3-yard loss on a second-and-goal play from the Steelers 1 and later tackled back Rachaad White for no gain.
Malik Reed broke up a pass for wide receiver Chris Godwin in the fourth quarter. He also finished with five tackles in place of injured T.J. Watt.
Then, there was, arguably, the play of the game by the most maligned defensive player of all.
Devin Bush.
On the Buccaneers' two-point conversion try after their touchdown narrowed the Steelers' lead to 20-18 with 4:38 left in the game, Bush batted away Brady's pass for Godwin.
Brady never got the ball back because Mitch Trubisky and Chase Claypool, among others, were able to run the clock out.
"I knew it was some kind of crossing concept," Bush said. "We took away his first read. After that, it was just read and react. Don't get me wrong, he made the right read and made a good throw. I just beat him to the spot."
It's going to take Bush more than one significant play to win back Steelers fans and, for that matter, management. The team didn't pick up his fifth-year option for next season, which means he will become a free agent. He'll be regarded as a major bust if his play doesn't improve. The Steelers traded up to draft him No. 10 overall in the 2019 draft.
"I think Devin knew that, coming into this year, it is a big year for him," Wormley said. "He understands the position that he's in, the plays he has to make as the middle linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. You saw on that two-point conversion, it meant a lot to him. It meant a lot to us as a team, but also to him individually for his confidence, for him continuing to ascend as the player we know he can be. I loved seeing it for him."
Don't forget the Steelers' defensive stars, who made sizable contributions to the win.
Cam Heyward had a sack on a third-and-goal play from the Steelers 4, two quarterback hurries and a tackle for loss. Alex Highsmith had a sack and forced fumble and a pass break-up. Myles Jack had a pass defense early and big tackle on White late, holding him to a 6-yard gain on a third-and-7 pass play. Terrell Edmunds kept things together in the secondary and had 10 tackles.
But it's inarguable that the Steelers wouldn't have won without huge plays from unexpected sources against the greatest quarterback of all time.
"It was one of those games where everybody had to step up, everybody had to make a play," Bush said. "We needed a win, but beating Brady makes it way better. I think it's good for us. It's a bonus for us. To ride this wave and carry on and finish out the rest of the season ...
"We have a bunch of fighters. I think we've proven that. We'll continue to do that. Whatever happens, happens. But we'll continue to fight."
