In arguably the most astonishing upset of this young NFL season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 on Sunday afternoon. The previously winless Buccaneers were coming off a hideous 56-14 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons

Struggling starting quarterback Josh McCown tore a ligament in his thumb in that horrific effort, so Mike Glennon got the start against Pittsburgh. Glennon, a favorite of former coach Greg Schiano, started 13 games for Tampa Bay a season ago, and did surprisingly well, considering the circumstances. When Schiano was relieved of his duties, however, Glennon's starting role seemed up for grabs. 

The Lovie Smith regime brought much change, including at quarterback. McCown, who was incredible in limited time with the Chicago Bears last season, was signed on a two-year deal, and was named the starter within weeks. Expectations were high for the new-look Bucs, but after the first three weeks, it became obvious that something was very wrong.

There were not too many prognosticators that expected these Buccaneers to beat the mighty Steelers on the road, but the improbable became reality when Mike Glennon led his team to victory in stunning fashion. 

After a mediocre first half, Glennon turned it on down the stretch, and finished the day with 256 yards passing and two touchdowns. His passes were crisp and on point, and he played mostly mistake-costless football. A slip by one of his receivers was to blame for Glennon's one and only interception on the day. 

The most impressive part of his performance was undoubtedly his game-winning touchdown drive with only :41 seconds remaining. He connected with Louis Murphy on a clutch 41 yard reception, and then found Vincent Jackson in the end zone from five yards out for the winning score. 

However, it's more than just his play Sunday that warrants better than a back-up role for Glennon moving forward. The second-year quarterback out of NC State has been increasingly impressive in his stint with the Bucs. His 2,608 yards and 59.4 completion percentage in 13 games last year doesn't blow you away, but he certainly outplayed the expectations of most, considering the atrocious situation he was forced into. 

Lovie Smith has stated that Mike Glennon is the future of the Buccaneers. If that's really the case, Glennon should be the starting quarterback of this team right now, whether McCown is healthy or not. It's rather obvious that Smith and company didn't have too much confidence is Glennon, and therefore looked elsewhere for a short-term option. It appears that they may have made a mistake, and Lovie needs to realize that and swallow his pride.

Clearly, Glennon has the assets that are needed to be a good NFL quarterback. His arm is plenty strong, he's showing better decision-making, and he's becoming more poised in the pocket. Certainly he has a long way to go, and depending on their placement in next year's draft, the Bucs might consider using a high pick on a quarterback, but for right now, Glennon should be the guy.

This Bucs team was heading nowhere, and still has a long journey ahead if they expect to contend in the division this season, but last Sunday instilled at least some level of hope in a long-suffering fan-base. A fan-base that just wants what they were promised, a winning team. Their best chance of that happening resides in the arm of 24-year-old Mike Glennon.

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About the author
Austin Burnett
Austin is an sports broadcaster/journalist with an immense passion for baseball, and especially the Tampa Bay Rays. He also loves hockey and football.