The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting ready to face the Raiders in Las Vegas for the first time ever. In the past, Mike Tomlin's squad has really struggled when playing on the road against this team, and, judging by how things have gone so far (particularly on the offensive side of the ball), this won't be an easy task.
Pittsburgh will once again be without the assistance of two of their top players, Cameron Heyward and Diontae Johnson. Both players have officially been placed on IR -- meaning they will need to be sidelined for at least four weeks until they are eligible to return. For Heyward in particular, that timetable could be even longer as it has been estimated that he could miss up to eight weeks with a groin tear.
While these are the biggest injuries the Steelers have sustained early in the year, Johnson and Heyward aren't the only players banged up. This week, a total of eight names showed up on the Steelers injury report (though two were deemed non-injury related).
Still, eight players missed practice on Wednesday and two more on Thursday ahead of tonight's game on Sunday Night Football. Here is the Pittsburgh Steelers inactives list vs. the Raiders tonight.
Steelers inactives list vs. Raiders in Week 3:
- No. 2 QB Mason Rudolph (3rd QB)
- No. 48 RB Godwin Igwebuike
- No. 60 OT Dylan Cook
- No. 82 Dez Fitzpatrick
- No. 89 Gunner Olszewski
- No. 96 DT Breiden Fehoko
Mason Rudolph once again shows up as inactive, though with the new rule change this year, a team's third quarterback can play in an emergency situation if worst comes to worst. The rib injury that Minkah Fitzpatrick suffered against the Browns in Week 2 caused a bit of a scare, but the Steelers safety assured the media earlier in the week that he was good to go.
Desmond King is active tonight and could see his first action as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Gunner Olszewski, who was dealing with a concussion, is out tonight. Nose tackle Breiden Fehoko is also a healthy scratch.
It's also worth noting that running back Anthony McFarland was placed on injured reserve last week due to a knee injury. It's presumed that McFarland could return to the field with Diontae Johnson after they each serve their four-game stint on IR, barring any setbacks. This will take them to Week 7 following the Week 6 bye.
Over on the opposite sideline tonight, the Las Vegas Raiders won't be without anyone significant to their team's success. They had seven players pop up on the injury report this week --including WR Jakobi Meyers. However, it looks like Las Vegas will essentially have a clean bill of health for tonight's game.
Tonight is a big game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In a crowded AFC with good quarterbacks and high-powered offenses, Tomlin's team needs to take care of business against manageable opponents. Sadly, it's the Raiders who are favored in this contest. We will soon see how things turn out and how injuries come into play.