PITTSBURGH (AP) — Vance McDonald insists he wasn’t sending some sort of message when the Pittsburgh Steelers tight end extended his right arm toward Tampa Bay’s Chris Conte and jammed the Buccaneers defensive back into the turf on Monday night.It was a show of force that sprung McDonald for a 75-yard touchdown reception and seemed to snap the two-time defending AFC North champions out of an early funk that threatened to swallow their season whole.“Just playing big Womens T. J. Watt Jersey ,” McDonald said after Pittsburgh held on for a 30-27 victory. “It was frustrating. I was (injured) in training camp, so this was kind of just a ‘Welcome Back’ almost.'”McDonald was talking about himself. He might as well have been talking about the Steelers, too.While there remains plenty of issues — particularly when it comes to penalties and pass defense — Pittsburgh (1-1-1) played with a sense of urgency it lacked at times during a maddening opening two weeks in which the Steelers frittered away a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in Cleveland before getting overwhelmed by Kansas City.McDonald’s highly “GIF-able” swat of Conte provided a desperately needed spark. The defense put a sudden if brief halt to Tampa Bay quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s hot streak by forcing a turnover on four consecutive possessions.Ben Roethlisberger did the rest while throwing for 353 yards and three scores.“That was a total team win, all the phases, and that’s what Steeler football is about,” Roethlisberger said.Even if anything close to a “clean” game remains elusive. Pittsburgh was flagged 13 times for 155 yards, the defense gave up 411 yards passing and kicker Chris Boswell missed two more kicks.Throw in some anxious moments in the fourth quarter after the Buccaneers trimmed a 20-point deficit to three and the Steelers understand they’re far from a finished product heading into a Sunday night visit by Baltimore (2-1).Still, considering all the off-the-field issues surrounding the team in recent weeks — from wide receiver Antonio Brown’s erratic behavior to running back Le’Veon Bell’s extended absence while waiting to sign his franchise tag — they will take it.“It was big,” cornerback Joe Haden said. “We haven’t started the season (anywhere) like we expected to, but we just wanted to start getting our first win, get that thing rolling.”Pittsburgh created just two turnovers over the first two weeks, but produced four against the Buccaneers thanks to three interceptions — including a pick-6 by linebacker Bud Dupree — and a fumble recovery.They’re the kind of “splash” plays coach Mike Tomlin covets JuJu Smith-Schuster Jersey White , though he’s still concerned about the massive amounts of yardage his team continues to give up.Four different Buccaneers had at least one reception of 20 yards or more, and Fitzpatrick became the first player in NFL history to top 400 yards three consecutive weeks.While Haden’s return from a hamstring issue that kept him out against Kansas City settled one cornerback spot, the other remains a problem. Artie Burns, Coty Sensabaugh and Cam Sutton all saw playing time opposite Haden, and all three struggled.“We’re going to continue to play a number of people until someone distinguishes themselves,” Tomlin said Tuesday.The new-look Ravens figure to continue to test Pittsburgh’s revamped secondary when they visit Heinz Field.Tomlin understands his team can’t make every play. What he’d like to see, however, is the Steelers stop beating themselves.Pittsburgh’s 37 penalties are easily tops in the NFL, nine more than Buffalo. Though Tomlin attributed some of the mistakes to the emotions of playing a pivotal game so early in the year, he allowed “we’ve got to play cleaner, got to play smarter.”Tomlin declined to take a shot at the officiating, pointing out that in each of Pittsburgh’s three games both teams were highly penalized.He admitted the number of flags — the Steelers and Buccaneers combined for 22 on Monday night — might be “worrisome” to those watching at home because the penalties make it difficult for the game to develop any sense of rhythm.“It probably wasn’t a fun game to watch https://www.thesteelerslockerroom.com/authentic-juju-smith-schuster-jersey ,” Tomlin said.That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a fun game to win, if only because it turned the attention back to football and not everything else.“We always say winning cures a lot of things, but I still think the biggest issue, if you will, was outside the locker room, people perceiving different things,” Roethlisberger said.“Not saying we don’t have issues, all teams have issues and there’s different things going on, but I think it was a little bigger than it really is.”Then the 15-year veteran paused ever so briefly before adding, “was.”NOTES: Tomlin said there’s a chance RG David DeCastro (hand), RT Marcus Gilbert (hamstring) and S Morgan Burnett (groin) — all of whom sat out against the Buccaneers — could play against Baltimore. … Tomlin declined to address reports the team is listening to trade offers for Bell. “I’m not talking Le’Veon,” Tomlin said. “I’m just not. There’s nothing new to add.” KANSAS CITY Womens James Conner Jersey , Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes awoke early on Tuesday to open presents with his little sister and the rest of his family, then the Chiefs quarterback hopped in his car for a quick trip to Arrowhead Stadium.Where he watched film. On Christmas.He got in his usual couple of hours of game-week prep on what is typically a day off for NFL teams, then hopped back in his car and headed home for the family feast.Then he watched more film. Still on Christmas.It’s that dedication to Mahomes’ craft that has helped the second-year pro become an MVP candidate as a first-time starter. He already has shattered numerous franchise records, including yards passing and TD passes in a single season, and Mahomes has positioned Kansas City for a third straight AFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs with a victory Sunday over Oakland.The biggest wild card for the Chiefs entering the season has become their one constant.“It’s the process. You set up the schedule for a reason,” Mahomes said Wednesday, when the rest of the Chiefs returned to practice.“You follow the same schedule — game plan, watch film, practice — and you do the same things you’ve been doing to have success.”At this point, why would Mahomes deviate from his routine?He’s thrown 48 touchdown passes to lead the NFL by a dozen, and his 4,816 yards passing trail only Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He leads the league in yards per attempt among QBs that have started all season T. J. Watt Jersey White , and only the Saints’ Drew Brees has a better quarterback rating.Speaking of ratings, Mahomes only has had three games in which his rating has failed to reach 100, and the Chiefs still won all of those games. He’s thrown a TD pass in every game except one, and that was a 30-14 rout of Jacksonville.And he’s thrown at least three touchdown passes in 10 games, with a pair of six-touchdown efforts in shootouts against the Patriots and Rams.“You just trust the process,” Mahomes said in explaining his unflappable nature. “Trust that your teammates are going to make the big plays they’ve made all year, and trust in my ability not to do too much. You just play the same game you’ve played all year.”Or the same game he’s played his whole life.Few were convinced that Mahomes would seamlessly transition from the Air Raid system of Texas Tech to the versatile, complex West Coast offense of Andy Reid. But the Chiefs coach saw enough of him last season in practice that Reid was willing to trade away Alex Smith and give him a shot.Now, the Chiefs are promoting Mahomes in MVP hype videos as they barrel toward the playoffs.“I am happy for all these guys, whatever accolades they get,” Reid said. “Patrick has worked hard for all of that stuff. There are a lot of great players in this league, so all the sudden you get pointed out as doing that T. J. Watt Jersey , it’s important. and that’s the game. But I am happy for him. A lot of work went into that for him.”Right, the game. The one that Mahomes was in the film room prepping for on Christmas, while the rest of his family was relaxing at home. The Chiefs have already squandered two chances to lock up the division title, and they could fall all the way to the No. 5 seed with a loss Sunday.So it makes sense that Mahomes was cramming for the Raiders on Tuesday.Even if it didn’t mean straying from the norm.“Everybody is excited for the opportunity,” Mahomes said, “getting to play a division opponent, a rival in our division, then get to play at Arrowhead Stadium. We want to stay here from here on out. If we come out and play like we know we can, we can make a run at this thing.”Notes: RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif returned to practice for the first time since breaking his fibula and tearing ligaments in Week 5 against Jacksonville. It begins a three-week window in which Duvernay-Tardif can get up to speed. “We’ll just bring him back gradually,” Reid said. “It’s just a matter of getting caught up with the speed of the game.” … Reid said WR Sammy Watkins was out of a walking boot and “moving around,” though his return remains uncertain. He hasn’t played a full game since early November.