The Steelers face a 1-0 Raiders team in Week 2, meaning Pittsburgh will have to answer some burning questions in this old-time rivalry game.
With the Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders both set to face off after Week 1 victories, each team will seek to add another win total in what should be a good AFC faceoff.
Both teams showcased some strong traits in their Week 1 wins, and both have areas that they will need to improve upon in Week 2.
With the Steelers, these four questions will have to be answered when they take on the Raiders in the second week of the NFL season.
Can Steelers stop Darren Waller?
The Raiders, as a whole, moved the ball well through the air in Week 1, but their main weapon is still Darren Waller.
The athletic tight end has been a marvel since joining Las Vegas, and he is one of the biggest mismatch weapons in the league. Pittsburgh will have to do a good job of singling him out because, if he beats you, he is a true difference-maker as a tight end.
While both Joe Schobert and Devin Bush are good in coverage, either will still be mismatched if going up against Waller. The team may need to employ additional safety help or even keep a corner on Waller to limit him.
No, the Steelers won’t be able to shut Waller down completely, but finding a way to limit his impact should be the goal.
If the team can’t, it could be a long day for this defense.
Can Steelers’ Najee Harris get on the right track?
To say that Najee Harris had a disappointing rookie debut would be an understatement.
Expectations weren’t through the roof for the first-round NFL Draft pick, but most expected him to make some key plays and be more of a critical feature in the offense. Instead, he only gained 45 rushing yards, averaged a paltry 2.8 yards per carry, and only added one reception for four yards.
All in all, it was far from an ideal start for the rookie.
The offensive line is deserving of some of the blame here. The line barely opened any holes all game, and as a result, Harris was constantly being met close to the line of scrimmage. He gained half of his rushing yards after contact and met a defender, on average, only 1.4 yards past the line of scrimmage.
Joe Mixon, who led the league in rushing yards in Week 1, was met with contact at 2.6 yards past the line of scrimmage. The fact that Mixon had over an extra yard before he was met with contact is telling of the lackluster line play the Steelers had.
It was tough sledding for Harris in Week 1.
That all said, the Pittsburgh O-line realistically won’t see any major improvements until Zach Banner returns. Even then, this group will need a few weeks to get used to playing next to each other.
That means Harris will have to do more to make more of an impact. As a first-round running back, the expectation is that he can be a difference-maker no matter what line he is running behind. He should expect the line to have similar struggles this week. He needs to find a way to be more effective despite that.
Can Steelers stop Raiders pass rush?
One of the biggest surprises for the Raiders in Week 1 was just how effective their pass rush was. The Ravens have an above-average defensive line, but Maxx Crosby was consistently finding ways to beat former Steelers lineman Alejandro Villanueva and get pressure on the quarterback.
Las Vegas should have an easier task this week, as Pittsburgh boasts one of the worst offensive lines in the league right now.
Now, the team ought to be prepping all week to stop this pass rush, as not being able to do so will lead to another slog of a day for the offense. That is easier said than done, especially when Chukwuma Okorafor will be the one tasked with stopping Crosby. The Steelers may have to keep Najee Harris or a tight end like Pat Freiermuth in to chip in as a pass blocker.
As well, focusing on the quick passing game and screen game could also limit the effect of the Raiders pass rush.
In all honesty, the best way to counter the Raiders pass rush is by simply running the ball better. If the Steelers can get down the field by running the ball, it completely eliminates the pass rush from the equation. Heavier sets would help deal with the talented Crosby, as there would be more blockers in place to keep him from impacting the game.
The team won’t be able to make any huge upgrades at their line before this week, but finding ways to better balance the team will be key to limiting the Raiders pass rush.
Can Steelers offense find some big plays?
The Steelers offense was far from perfect in Week 1 despite their second-half surge, and one of their primary focuses heading into Week 2 has to be making this group more dynamic.
While the team moved the ball well enough, it lacked any explosiveness and big-play ability against the Buffalo Bills. This was prevalent in both the rushing and passing offense, as both areas struggled to find a huge impact player.
The running game has already been highlighted in this post, so I won’t dwell on that too much. That said, getting the rushing average up this week and getting a big run off or two would be beneficial for this offense.
In terms of the passing game, the team needs to push the ball more down the field. While the Raiders lack the pieces in the secondary the Bills have, their pass rush could still make throwing the ball deep an issue.
That doesn’t mean the Steelers can try and get the deep playoff, though.
While Diontae Johnson will continue to eat up the short and intermediate targets, the team has to get Chase Claypool going vertical. While Claypool can win elsewhere in the passing game, his rare combination of size and athleticism can lead to some big plays deep down the field. A couple of deep connections and a long run or two would be enough to get this offense going in the right direction.
They need some sort of big play to get this offense going in Week 2.
The Steelers and Raiders both enter Week 2 coming off of big wins. Each team has some work to do though if they want to leave the victors.
For Pittsburgh, these four questions will have to be answered during the game against Las Vegas.