The Steelers enter week seven in a comfortable spot. Not only did they pick up the win against the Raiders, but they did so in a convincing fashion according to the box score. It was their most decisive victory this year and a welcome gift to get the team back on track following two close losses.
They are now set to face off against an underperforming Jets team fresh off another loss this year. New York got aggressive and landed Davante Adams in an effort to turn things around quickly. Before we head into that game though, three big overreactions need to be corrected before the week 7 game against the Jets.
T.J. Watt isn’t getting after the quarterback
Through the first six games of the season, T.J. Watt is off to an unusually slow start in terms of sacks. Usually a league leader, his 4.5 sacks ties him for 11th in the NFL, and he is currently three whole sacks away from tying for first. Some fans have come to the conclusion that he is losing his edge and may no longer be dominant.
Let’s be clear up front: Watt is still an elite edge rusher, and while the gaudy sack numbers haven’t been there, they usually come in waves. He is also fighting a lot of extra attention because of the injuries to the rest of the edge rusher’s room. Even in games in which he doesn’t record a sack, such as the Raiders game, he still makes big plays, in that case forcing two fumbles. Watt is as good as it gets, and the sacks will eventually come.
Steelers didn’t trade for Davante Adams
Not a game overreaction, but a major talking point nonetheless. Davante Adams finally found a new home, reuniting with Aaron Rodgers in New York despite rumors again swirling that Pittsburgh was in on the star receiver. Similar to the Brandon Aiyuk fallout, fans are dismayed that the receiver room hasn’t been upgraded.
I think this was another bullet dodged by the team. Adams is talented, but his contract makes him a likely one-year rental for a high cost. I don’t think he makes this team a Super Bowl contender, so it isn’t the end of the world. It looks like the franchise could find some cheaper receiver upgrades at the deadline instead, so this is being overblown right now.
Steelers put up big points against the Raiders
A win is a win in the NFL but for Steelers fans acting like this offense has finally found itself, think again. The Raiders are one of the worst teams in the NFL, and for the first 30 minutes or so of the game, they kept it close. The defense and special teams provided some key turnovers that both kept Las Vegas out of the end zone and led to Pittsburgh points.
Had this been the dominant performance that everyone seems to think it was, there wouldn’t be a quarterback controversy this week. The team sees the win for what it was, and fans need to do the same thing. It was nice to finally see some points but had the Raiders scored on one of those possessions that ended in a fumble, who knows what this game would have looked like? There is still a lot of work to do and questions to answer.