The Steelers enter week three as one of the least confident 1-1 teams I have seen in a long time. Sure, they rebounded and found a way to win in week two, but it certainly wasn’t pretty, as the offense failed to inspire any hope. The defense came up in a big way, but it is hard to imagine them reproducing that output this week.
Thankfully, the Raiders don’t post a huge threat either, as they have also struggled to find their footing this season. If you read Ryan’s weekly thread on what us writers think will happen though, you already know how I see this game going. With that said, here are my four bold predictions for the Steelers Sunday night game against the Raiders.
George Pickens doesn’t stop for the Steelers
The Steelers offense, as a whole, has been pathetic this season. The lone bright spot has been George Pickens. While the second-year receiver struggled in week one both statistically and in the mental sphere, he more than delivered last week. He was the only good thing about this unit on Monday.
I don’t expect that to change this week. Pickens will still be the top receiver for this offense and with good reason. While I’m not confident that this is the rebound week for the offense, I do think Pickens continues his strong start to his second season. He has another 100-yard game, finds the endzone, and reproduces a few of his incredible grabs that have been lacking from this season so far.
Steelers see some rookie firsts
The Steelers rookie class was predictably quiet in week one, but they were more on display last week. Unfortunately, while I think we see a lot of rookie firsts this week, we still don’t see Broderick Jones get his first start.
We do see Joey Porter get his first interception though. After a surprisingly low amount of snaps in week one, the defense ran more packages with Porter in week two. With both starting cornerbacks struggling, I think Porter sees even more opportunities this week. It led to him grabbing his first career interception in the third quarter.
Keeanu Benton has arguably had the biggest impact so far. While not a stat monster, he has showcased his pure strength on numerous occasions, pushing offensive linemen back into the pocket. He continues his strong start but recording his first sack this week.
Darnell Washington isn’t left out of this equation either. While he has been used as an impressive blocker so far this season, he hasn’t been able to record a catch yet. I wanted to call my shot with a touchdown, but I’m not confident that this team will get into the red zone often enough. I’ll settle for his first reception instead, a 13-yard snag down the seam.
No, none of these are huge stat lines, but it is showing that the team is beginning to get their rookies more involved. This class has a lot of potential, but they haven’t had the production quite yet. That begins to change this week though.
The Steelers offense continues to regress
I’m looking at the first two weeks of the season, and I have to wonder if it can get any worse for this Steelers offense. Through two weeks, they are one of the worst-performing units in the league, as both their run and passing schemes have been ineffective. On top of this, the Raiders boast a very beatable defense, so the odds seem likely for a turnaround.
Perhaps it is the Raiders, who the Steelers always seem to struggle against. Add in the fact that this is a road game in the West on a slightly short week and I’m nervous. On top of all of this, I have lost a lot of faith in both Kenny Pickett and Matt Canada, and I’m not sure when the rebound will happen.
The playcalling has been lackluster and is the talk of the town. From “fire Canada” chants to just about everyone raving that he is the sole problem of this offense, I have almost no confidence that he can call an efficient game.
And then there is Pickett. He is a far more divisive name, as some seem to want him benched while the majority attribute all of his struggles to the aforementioned offensive coordinator. That said, Pickett has looked horrible so far this season. He seemed to play worse in week two as well, signaling a potential for further regression.
On paper, this offense should play well against the Raiders. The run game should be able to take the reigns and the secondary lends itself to exploitation. All of the factors above make me think that this won’t be the week for a true rebound though.
Steelers get burnt by a familiar face
By all accounts, you have to marvel at the career of Robert Spillane. An afterthought at Western Michigan with below-average size and athleticism, he went undrafted and eventually found his way to the Steelers practice squad. He worked his way up from there, first on special teams and eventually into a hybrid starting role.
I was surprised by the contract that the Raiders gave him this offseason, but the early reports are that he is well worth the money. Spillane was voted as a team captain, wears the green dot for Las Vegas, and has played every snap on defense so far.
He seems to have found his footing, and I think he will make the Steelers pay this week. It starts early in the game, as he shoots his gap and stops Najee Harris on a critical third and short, forcing a field goal. Right before the half ends, he sacks Pickett, forcing a punt and preventing points.
Finally, when the Steelers are trying to make their comeback in the fourth quarter, a poorly placed pass by Pickett is picked off by Spillane, which essentially ends the game. I think the former Steelers linebacker comes up big this week.
While the Raiders are the easiest opponent for the Steelers so far this season, I am not confident in the outcome of this game. This offense looks horrible, and I’m not sure it will improve this week. Keep these four bold predictions as the Steelers play the Raiders this Sunday.