3 positives to take away from Steelers Week 2 loss against Raiders
By Tommy Jaggi
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost their first contest of the season against the Las Vegas Raiders, but here are three positives to take away from the game.
Even the most optimistic fans probably had a hard time finding a lot to be positive about after Pittsburgh’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. After losing defensive tackle Tyson Alualu for what could very well be the remainder of the 2021 season, the Steelers lost control of the game in the second quarter and wound up with their first loss of the season.
Mike Tomlin’s team was hampered with injuries that forced them to start several backups on defense in this contest, and there were a few scares along the way. However, even with the loss and the injuries, there are still a few positives to take away from this game:
Injuries to T.J. Watt, Diontae Johnson are minor
Seeing T.J. Watt hobble off the field in the second quarter made my heart drop, and I’m sure it did the same for many fans watching the game. Watt is widely regarded as the best player on the Steelers – and for good reason. He has been a two-time Defensive Player of the Year Candidate each of the past two seasons.
Fortunately, we received good news following the game that it was just a groin issue for Watt and nothing more (the same issue Devin Bush and Joe Haden were dealing with that kept them out of the game).
In addition, insult to injury was added when Diontae Johnson went down clutching his leg on the final play of the game – a play that meant nothing towards the final outcome. It was initially feared that Johnson’s injury may have been significant, but it was recently reported that Johnson avoided a serious knee injury on Sunday. While the statuses of these two players remain up in the air, it’s encouraging to know that the Steelers escaped the game with minor injuries to Watt and Johnson.