Steelers vs. Raiders: Winners and losers from week 2 loss

Steelers winner: Robert Spillane

There was no Steelers player that had a worse camp than Robert Spillane in 2021. He entered camp as the favorite to be the starter next to Devin Bush, but bad practices and preseason games led to the team trading for Joe Schobert.

Spillane was a scratch in week one due to an injury suffered late in the week but was suddenly elevated to starter in week two as Bush had to be sidelined with an injury of his own.

There was a real concern that Spillane would be picked on like he was in the offseason. Add in the fact that the Raiders were going to be relying on Kenyon Drake, a back known for his speed and receiving ability, and it seemed like Spillane was going to have a mismatch all game. There was a real chance that Spillane could have been the key issue if the team got carved up on defense.

While the defense as a whole struggled, Spillane actually held his own on the day. While Drake did catch a handful of passes, Spillane didn’t give up any big plays and he was a consistent tackler. He ended the day with 10 total tackles. Again, it wasn’t any sort of a monumental game for Spillane, but he more than held his own and helped keep the Raiders’ running backs in check.