The Steelers will have their first home game of the 2021 season against the Raiders. Here are five crucial matchups heading into Week 2.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a very important Week 1 win in Buffalo against the Bills that should set the tone for the upcoming 2021 season, proving to the NFL the Steelers are good enough to compete against anyone this season.
The Las Vegas Raiders, meanwhile, are coming off a big win in Week 1 as well, as they defeated the Baltimore Ravens in a wild-ending overtime game on Monday Night Football.
The Steelers will be playing their first home game in front of a full stadium at Heinz Field since Dec. 19, 2019.
So, even with Pittsburgh having all of its fans back in the stands once again, there are still many important matchups the team will need to execute in order to win over Las Vegas.
Here are five crucial matchups in this Week 2 bout.
Darren Waller vs. Steelers linebacker corps
If you look at the recent history of Pittsburgh’s defense, it has struggled to stop a team with an elite tight end.
And if you watched the Raiders’ first game against Baltimore, you probably noticed quarterback Derek Carr looks to throw to tight end Darren Waller as much as possible. Waller is Carr’s No. 1 target and was targeted 19 times in the win over Baltimore on Monday.
The Steelers linebackers need to do everything they can to contain this guy.
If they can take Waller out of this game, they will take care of the Raiders.