The Steelers are set to face the upstart Raiders in the second week of the regular season, and here are five bold predictions for the matchup.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders‘ Week 2 game is shaping up to be one of the better ones on the docket this weekend.
Both teams pulled an upset in Week 1, Pittsburgh upending the Buffalo Bills on the road and the Raiders knocking off the Baltimore Ravens in a Monday Night Football overtime thriller, and now both hope to continue their hot starts for the year by winning this matchup.
The game figures to be competitive, as the Raiders’ effective offense faces one of the stoutest defenses in the league this week.
Here are some bold predictions for the Pittsburgh versus Las Vegas in Week 2.
Steelers’ Joe Haden gets burned deep
If I were the Raiders, the one matchup I would try and get is Henry Ruggs on Joe Haden.
While Ruggs had a relatively quiet start to the season, the second-year wideout is known for his immense straight-line speed. Any corner would have trouble covering him, but their best matchup is to put him on Haden.
While Haden looked great in Week 1, he was very much in his element, covering receivers on the short and intermediate routes. There, his intelligence of the game and talent in coverage can still shine. At his age, though, his speed and athletic traits are waning. Last season, typical deep threats, such as Darius Slayton, were thorns in Haden’s side. He doesn’t have the speed anymore to keep up.
Thus, if/when the Steelers have Haden covering Ruggs, expect a potential mismatch to be exploited. At least one long pass connects, as Haden finds himself trailing one of the fastest receivers in the game.
While his coverage elsewhere is fine, the pure speed of Ruggs leads to Haden giving up a huge play.
Steelers hold Josh Jacobs to 40 total yards
Josh Jacobs has been an interesting fit with the Raiders since being drafted. He was taken late in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft to a team that struggled to have an identity on their offense. He has looked good as a runner at times, but he seems to be dependent on a good line to open holes for him as opposed to creating opportunities himself.
Honestly, some parallels can be drawn right now with him and the Steelers’ Najee Harris.
Now, though, the Raiders expecting just him to be a runner in their scheme. They brought in Kenyan Drake to be their change of pace and receiving back, and the expectation is Jacobs will handle the majority of the running work while Drake serves as the third-down back.
This was the case in Week one, but Jacobs struggled to get the ball moving on the ground, as he only put up 34 rushing yards (he did score twice, though, to note).
His job doesn’t get any easier this week, as he is set to face a Steelers defense that has some stifling run defenders. While Devin Singletary did gain some overall yardage, that was due to his speed allowing him to exploit some bad run defense by Pittsburgh. Jacobs lacks that overall, as he relies more on power than straight speed.
Thus, Jacobs’ slow start to the season, yardage-wise, continues. By the end of the game, Jacobs still fails to record over 40 rushing yards for two weeks in a row, and this time, he is kept out of the end zone. Held without a catch as well, Jacobs leaves Sunday’s game as one of the worst offensive produces as he struggles to make an impact against a great defense.
Steelers’ James Pierre gets his first interception
While he played far less than expected in Week 1, James Pierre still looked good all things considered.
The second-year player was a camp darling, living up to the hype that was associated with him before camp opened, and he held his own against Buffalo. With a week of defensive play under his belt, I expect him to be a bit more aggressive and see the field more in this upcoming week.
Add in the potent Steelers pass rush, and Pierre is in a good position to succeed (as is any member of the secondary, to be honest). With him likely more comfortable this week, he may start to show some of the ball-hawking traits that he has displayed in the last two camps.
That leads to more risk, naturally, but a key interception can be game-changing.
I believe Pierre both plays more this week and makes the most of the opportunity with a key interception. While he still takes some lumps in coverage and allows an extra catch or two that he shouldn’t, Pierre grades out as one of the better corners in the game.
He firmly establishes himself as one of the league’s most intriguing players going forward after a solid performance in Week 2.
Steelers’ Najee Harris has his first 100-yard game
To say Najee Harris was disappointing in his Steelers debut would be an understatement. The hyped-up rookie struggled to find running room behind a line that failed to get much of a push up front. While the line holds a lot of the blame, Harris also struggled to make any big plays on his own, a trait you must possess as a first-round running back.
To be frank, this week isn’t much better for the rookie on the ground. While his overall yardage should increase, I think it still floats around the 60-yard mark as this offensive line still struggles to move the Raiders defense.
That said, where Harris turns his game around is as a receiver.
He was targeted a few times in Week 1, but a variety of bad and overthrown passes led him to only catching one of his targets for a minimal gain.
That changes this week, as Ben Roethlisberger gets synched up with the rookie, and the two connect on five passes for just over 40 yards.
Add in his mediocre rushing totals and the Harris finally has his first 100-yard day as a back. While the big runs still aren’t there, Harris displays the talent that he does have while serving as a safety-net receiver.
Steelers’ Chukwuma Okorafor gets benched
Easily the Steelers’ worst player from Week 1, Chukwuma Okorafor failed to do much of anything in his return to right tackle.
The expectations weren’t high, but somehow, he found a way to not even meet those lowly goals. Entering Week 2, Okorafor and the rest of the line are set to face a talented Raiders front seven that was successful in putting pressure on the Ravens a week ago.
This means another bad game from Okorafor, and this time, I think he gets benched.
Early in the game, Okorafor gets bull-rushed right into a Ben Roethlisberger sack. On the second drive, a similar rush leads to a Roethlisberger strip-sack that is recovered by the offense. By the third, the Steelers send out Joe Haeg to take on right tackle duties, a role that he isn’t great at, but just not as bad as Okorafor was.
Long term, I think this Raiders game is the last we see Okorafor as a traditional starter. Zach Banner returns and takes on his role as right tackle while Dan Moore continues to impress as the left tackle.
Okorafor sees the field as an injury replacement and tackle-eligible on occasion but ends up being inactive for much of the rest of the year. He seems to have hit his peak as a player, and that certainly isn’t good enough for him to be a starter.
The Steelers and Raiders will likely be one of the better Week 2 games, as both teams are looking to keep up with their fast starts.
Keep these bold predictions in mind as the Raiders travel to Pittsburgh to take on the black and gold this Sunday.