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

Steelers winner: Cameron Heyward

While the Steelers’ front seven was decimated with injuries, Cameron Heyward still stood out as one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league. While he didn’t post a sack this week, he was regularly moving the Raiders linemen around and getting into the backfield. He was also disruptive on running plays, as evident by his seven total tackles.

All of this happened despite him being the primary offensive focus up front midway through the game. Tyson Alualu was lost early in the game and T.J. Watt was eventually injured as well. The Raiders got to focus on Heyward, and while they were effective in not allowing him to get to their quarterback, he was still a force that had to be reckoned with on every play.

The injuries to this front seven have been piling up recently, but we should see some familiar faces return soon. While the Alualu injury looked relatively serious, fellow lineman Stephon Tuitt could be elevated as soon as week four and should reprise himself as one of the best in the league. Watt’s groin injury certainly could linger, but it didn’t seem too serious given how he was moving on the sideline afterward. If this group can get healthy again, opposing offenses will be in trouble.