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Performance Preview: Week Six Showstopper – Emeka Egbuka, Josiah Trotter or Tez Johnson?

Our three Buccaneers.com contributors once again try to predict which players will rise above the pack and produce a star performance, this time against the visiting Steelers in Week Six

Oct 16, 2026 at 12:08 PM

by Gabriel Kahaian, Brianna Dix & Scott Smith

Last week, I suggested a storyline in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would shine under the prime-time lights of Thursday Night Football in Dallas, and that three of us engaged in this season-long "pick-to-click" style competition here on Buccaneers.com would be able to reflect some of that illuminated glory. Well, half of that storyline came true, and it was by far the most important half, as the Buccaneers played well in all three phases of the game to secure a much, much-needed 24-16 win over the Cowboys.

For those of us engaging in this weekly Performance Preview showdown, it was not a win in any of the three phases of the game (that would be the three competitors: Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix, Buccaneers.com Contributor Gabriel Kahaian and me). There were plenty of stars for the Buccaneers on that night, we just didn't pick any of them. I'll let our contest adjudicator explain in more detail below.

So we move on to Week Six and try again. The rules to this competition are simple: Each week, Bri, Gabe and I pick one Buccaneers player apiece on Friday and explain why we think that player is poised for a big game. We can't duplicate picks so order may matter, and that's why we rotate that order each week. Following the game, Team Reporter Casey Phillips serves as our unbiased judge, picking which of the three selected players had the best game, in her opinion. She is also allowed to issue a "push" if there simply isn't a best choice. (And apparently, she can split a win down the middle, which is a thing she invented this season and explains our strange scoreboard.)

Last week, Bri went first and took running back Sean Tucker. I followed with defensive lineman Calijah Kancey and Gabe wrapped it up with wide receiver Ted Hurst. We all used a lot of flowery language to explain why our selected players were going to shine in Dallas. None of those ideas bloomed as Tucker had 18 yards on five carries, Kancey had one tackle and one QB hit and Hurst did not catch a pass for the first time this season. As such, though she doesn't explicitly use the word in her ruling below, Judge Casey has delivered the ruling of a push for the first time this season. To wit:

"Well, the Bucs got a win, but our writers did not. Winning choices could have looked like Jalon Daniels, Bucky Irving, Emeka Egbuka, Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish….have I made my point? But in all seriousness, while none of these selections got our writers a win, the Bucs showed up and showed out in all three phases of the game, so as Oprah says, you get a win, you get a win, you get a win…!

Can't argue with any of that. It's a push and thus our standings are now:

Gabe: 2.5

Scott: 1.0

Bri: 0.5

Push: 1.0

I'm tied in the standings with "push." Feels really good. But I get to go first this week so things are about to start coming up Scott Smith!

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TAMPA, FL - October 14, 2026 - Inside Linebacker SirVocea Dennis #8 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Linebacker Caden Fordham #46 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers