Well, the Steelers offense finally did it. We finally scored over thirty points since week seventeen of the 2023 season. Make no mistake, the win against the Las Vegas Raiders was significant on many fronts, including the obvious, which is this: we won a road game to get back on the 'winning track'.
Another reason the win against the Raiders was significant is that it was a conference win. We can't let these non-divisional conference games slip away like we did against the Colts in week four. Non-divisional conference losses could be the difference between making the playoffs and watching playoffs from the comfort of your couch.
Let's see what we learned on the offesnsive side of the ball.
Steelers' offense had an epiphany and realized that scoring more than thirty points was allowed
When I say that the Steelers' offense realized that scoring more than thirty points was allowed, I say that in a 'tongue -in-cheek' fashion. Of course, an NFL team is allowed to score more than thirty points. In fact, an NFL is allowed to score as many points as the opposing defense will surrender.
If you look at the stat line for this game, the Steelers offense outdueled the Raiders offense in total yards, but not by much. The difference in this game was our ability to run the ball and, as a result, possess the ball. We won the time of possession and thus won the game.
We ran the ball thirty-five times for one-hundred and eighty-three yards. That equates to a little over five yards per rush attempt. The 'old school' in me loved the fact that we were committed to running ball, but today's NFL is a pass-first league.
Although Justin Fields was efficient, he did not have a great statistical game. Passing for one hundred and ten net yards is rather pedestrian, but Fields did score two rushing TDs in addition to the fifty-nine yards he contributed on the ground.
Look, I don't care how we win. I have always said that a win is a win and I'll take the win, but, at some point, either Arthur Smith is going to have to call plays to allow or encourage Fields to take some shots down the field or Fields is just going to have to 'air out' the football.
Let's see what we learned on the defensive side of the ball.
Pittsburgh's defense overcame injuries to play dominant football yet again
Stop me if you've heard this before: T.J. Watt made two game-changing plays when we needed them to be made. Watt forced two fumbles that we recovered, one of which the offense was able to convert into seven points.
The defense not only forced two fumbles and nabbed an interception, but they held the Raiders to fifty-seven yards rushing. I was not particularly happy with the amount of passing yards we gave up, but we did allow only two out of eleven third-down conversion opportunities.
To say that the defense played dominant football yet again would be both an understatement and a recurring theme for this season. The defense won us games during the 2023 season and the good fortune has continued thus far in the 2024 season.
How long the good fortune lasts is anyone's guess, but we will take it for as long as it does last. What was also good fortune in this game was the fact that despite the defense being down multiple starters at key positions, outside linebacker most notably, the backups played well, which was really good to see.
Let's see what else we learned.
Steelers overcame significant injuries to get a much-needed win vs. Raiders
As I said, we entered this game down key players at key positions, especially on the defensive side of the ball. After a heartbreaking loss at home against the Cowboys, we could have easily gone into the game against the Raiders with little or no confidence.
Instead, we came out from our first possession and showed that we were going to battle and we were going to be in this game. Admittedly, we got bailed out on offense thanks to some timely penalties on the Raiders defense that kept some drives going, but I would argue that those drive-sustaining penalties go both ways.
Penalties are part of the game of football. To paraphrase Mike Tomlin, football is our game and our business is winning. Against the Raiders, we took care of business. We took care of business for the first three games of the season and found ourselves alone in first place in the AFC North.
We did not take care of business for the previous two games. The NFL is a week-to-week league. This week, we won. What transpires next week is anyone's guess, but for now, the Steelers are a four-win team that looked good in obtaining said win.