3 reasons the Steelers will win in Week 3 vs. the Las Vegas Raiders
By Cory Rogers
1. Watt & Highsmith will pressure Jimmy Garoppolo into rare mistakes
The Raiders have managed to keep Jimmy G upright in the first two games. Per Pro Football Reference, they're the only team in the league that has yet to allow a sack and have allowed just four quarterback pressures (hurries + hits + times sacked).
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh is tied for third in the NFL with nine sacks in two games. T.J. Watt has four sacks by himself, and as a team, the Steelers have totaled 32 pressures. Watt also leads the team in the latter category with an incredible 13 pressures thus far.
Las Vegas will attempt to limit Pittsburgh's opportunities for sacks and pressures by trying to establish a running game led by Josh Jacobs. However, Jacobs is averaging just 1.6 yards per carry through two games.
The Steelers' run defense has struggled, to say the least, against two of the top offensive lines in the NFL (San Francisco and Cleveland). Playing without All-Pro Cameron Heyward will again be a challenge, but DT Larry Ogunjobi played well last week and rookie Keeanu Benton should continue to show growth.
If Pittsburgh can shut down the Raiders' running game, Garoppolo will have to pass more, which favors the Steelers in terms of putting pressure on the quarterback. The Raiders do expect starting receivers Devante Adams and Jakobi Myers to play in this contest after missing time due to injury.