2. Can the offensive line help the offense out?
The Steelers offensive line was a major weakness last year, and it wasn't expected to be a strength this season, but it was expected to be much improved. With numerous additions along the offensive line in the offseason, the belief was that Kenny Pickett and the running game would have much more room to work with this season, and that has not been the case at all.
Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren were being hit before they made it back to the line of scrimmage on the majority of their carries the last two weeks. Even on the chunk plays Harris recorded last week, he saw a lot of traffic, and on one of them, he cut back and reversed field. If the Steelers are to have any success on offense they are going to need the running game to improve in order to prevent getting behind the sticks and making sure they are in manageable third-down situations.
Additionally, Pickett rarely worked with a clean pocket, as the line was frequently collapsing, and he even took a huge hit on the long touchdown pass to George Pickens. Obviously, the Steelers would like to see better protection around Pickett in order to help move the ball and see him progress.
If the line does a better job in run blocking the team will be much more balanced, and this will likely help the offensive line in pass protection as the Steelers won't need long chunks to pick up a third down, meaning they wouldn't have to block long.
Luckily for the Steelers, the Raiders defense is not nearly as stout as San Francisco's or Cleveland's. This should help the offensive line create more room to operate, and leave it on Pickett and the skill position players to make things happen.
However, one man the Steelers must account for is Maxx Crosby, as he is one of the best edge rushers in the game. The offensive tackles will have their work cut out with him and should see some help from Pat Freiermuth, and Darnell Washington, to make sure he doesn't wreck the game.