PITTSBURGH (1-1) AT LAS VEGAS (1-1)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EDT, NBC
OPENING LINE: Raiders by 2 1/2, in keeping with FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Pittsburgh 1-1; Las Vegas 1-1.
SERIES RECORD: Raiders lead 17-14.
LAST MEETING: Steelers gained 13-10 final season in Pittsburgh.
LAST WEEK: Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 26-22; Raiders misplaced 38-10 on the Buffalo Payments.
STEELERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (31), RUSH (31), PASS (18), SCORING (26).
STEELERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (32), PASS (16), SCORING (23T).
RAIDERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (30), PASS (21), SCORING (30T).
RAIDERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (23), RUSH (27), PASS (18), SCORING (25T).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Steelers plus-1; Raiders minus-4.
STEELERS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Kenny Pickett. Pickett pulled off a last-minute game-winning drive to edge the Raiders in Pittsburgh final Christmas Eve, the primary actual indicators that he had the potential to grow to be a franchise quarterback. But the leap Steelers coach Mike Tomlin anticipated from Pickett in his second season has as a substitute regarded extra like a step again. Pickett is finishing simply 60% (46 of 76) of his passes and has regarded shaky below strain.
RAIDERS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Josh Jacobs. After lacking coaching camp over a contract dispute, Jacobs stated he can be extra rested than his teammates who went by way of the grind of 100-degree practices. He may averted the preseason put on and tear, however Jacobs had averaged 1.6 yards on 28 carries. Possibly this will likely be Jacobs’ breakout recreation. The Raiders want it to be simply that.
KEY MATCHUP: Steelers offensive line vs. Raiders defensive position. Pittsburgh’s offensive line has struggled and Las Vegas, exterior of DE Maxx Crosby, can’t get into opposing backfields. This could possibly be a chance for the Steelers to lastly set up a run recreation and provides Pickett time to throw. Or it could possibly be Raiders probability to disrupt an offense.
KEY INJURIES: Pittsburgh WR Gunner Olszewski (concussion) didn’t follow Thursday and S Minkah Fitzpatrick (chest) was restricted. Las Vegas CB Jakorian Bennett (hamstring) and DT Bilal Nichols (hamstring/hand) had been restricted in follow.
SERIES NOTES: Even with final season’s Steelers victory, the Raiders have had the higher hand lately, profitable six of the previous 9 conferences. … Pittsburgh has particularly struggled on this sequence when the Steelers have needed to go on the street. The Steelers’ final beat the Raiders exterior of Pittsburgh in 1995. … That is the primary assembly in Las Vegas. … Final season’s recreation was QB Derek Carr’s final begin in a Raiders uniform. He was benched 4 days later and signed with the New Orleans Saints within the offseason.
STATS AND STUFF: The Raiders scored a landing on the opening drive of every of the primary two video games. That’s the primary time they’ve performed that since 1989. These two drives account for extra factors (14) than Las Vegas has scored within the different sequence mixed (13). … Las Vegas is the one staff that has not given up a sack this season. That is the second time the Raiders haven’t allowed a sack by way of the primary two video games, the opposite time occurring in 1977. … LB Robert Spillane performed the previous 4 seasons for the Steelers. He leads the Raiders with 21 tackles, together with two tackles for loss and a sack. … Okay Daniel Carlson is three factors shy of 600. Solely 5 different Raiders have completed that. … The Raiders are two victories in need of 500 in franchise historical past. 9 different groups have reached that mark. … WR Davante Adams has receptions in 117 consecutive video games, the NFL’s fifth-longest energetic streak. … Steelers LBs T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith grew to become the primary teammates to get a sack and rating a landing in the identical recreation because the sack grew to become an official statistic in 1982 when each of them reached the tip zone final week towards Cleveland. … Watt and Highsmith’s touchdowns compensated for a protection that struggled towards the working recreation for a second straight week. The Steelers have allowed 386 yards on the bottom by way of two video games, worst within the NFL. … Whereas Pittsburgh has dominated on “Monday Night time Soccer” (final week’s victory over the Browns improved their residence profitable streak on Monday night time to 21), issues are somewhat extra even on Sunday nights. The Steelers are 31-27 on Sunday nights, together with 20-15 below Mike Tomlin. … Pittsburgh has struggled when enjoying out West for years. The Steelers are 20-37 within the Pacific time zone. … That is the primary of three journeys out West for Pittsburgh, who performs on the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 22 and at Seattle on Dec. 31. … The Steelers have struggled to get something happening offense, significantly early in video games. Pittsburgh wanted 5 drives to earn a primary down towards San Francisco in Week 1. It took 4 drives to get a primary down in Week 2. Pittsburgh’s 24 first downs are final within the NFL by way of two weeks. … Towards the Browns the Steelers grew to become simply the second staff since 1991 to win a recreation it was trailing within the fourth quarter regardless of having destructive yardage over the ultimate quarter-hour. … Watt is the one participant in NFL historical past to get not less than 80 sacks and 15 takeaways in his first 100 video games. Sunday night time will likely be Watt’s ninetieth recreation within the NFL.
FANTASY TIP: Steelers RB Najee Harris. He rushed for greater than 1,000 yards in every of the previous two seasons, however has simply 74 yards by way of two video games this season. The Raiders permit 4.9 yards per rush, so if Harris is to get going, this could possibly be the time he does it.
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