Published Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024 | 2 a.m.
Updated Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024 | 4:08 p.m.
The Raiders made things easy on the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers this afternoon.
Three Las Vegas turnovers — a fumble, blocked punt and interception — gave the Steelers the ball deep in Raiders territory and led to 17 points in a 32-13 victory.
Las Vegas looked sharp on its initial drive of the game.
New starting quarterback Aidan O’Connell completed all four of his pass attempts in a 70-yard scoring drive and Alexander Mattison had a short touchdown run for an early lead.
Pittsburgh, however, would take advantage of a Raiders’ roster with many reserves forced into action for injured players in scoring 29 unanswered points to put the game away.
Take running back Dylan Laube, an undrafted rookie, who fumbled on his first career carry to give Pittsburgh the ball at the Las Vegas 30-yard line. That led to the first of two rushing touchdowns from Justin Fields, but only after the Steelers’ drive was extended by a penalty on defensive tackle Matthew Butler.
Butler was on the active roster for the initial time this season.
The struggles were most profound on offense.
The Raiders couldn’t get anything going offensively, especially with their running backs in only gaining 57 yards on 19 carries. O’Connell completed 27 of 40 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown pass to Kristian Wilkerson in the fourth quarter once the outcome was already decided.
First-round draft pick Brock Bowers continued his stellar rookie season with nine catches for 71 yards.
The Raiders play at the Rams next week. Time will tell how the roster will look — O’Connell back under center? Davante Adams with the franchise?
Raiders have touchdown called back, trail Steelers in final quarter
This is how the season is going for the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense.
Ameer Abdullah had a would-be touchdown called back because the Raiders were flagged for having a lineman illegally downfield. Two plays later, Abdullah fumbled at the goal line and the Steelers recovered to preserve a 22-7 lead.
Pittsburgh scored the lone points of the second half, a 37-yard field goal from Chris Boswell and a 36-yard touchdown run from Najee Harris.
The Raiders have been limited to 209 yards through three quarters.
Raiders struggling on offense, trail Pittsburgh 15-7
The Las Vegas Raiders couldn’t mount any offense on their first possession of the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And, then things got worse.
The Raiders had a punt blocked to give the Steelers the ball inside the 20-yard line, leading to Chris Boswell’s third field goal of the game and a 15-7 Pittsburgh lead early in the third quarter.
The Raiders went 70 yards for a touchdown on the first drive of the game. On their next six possessions, they’ve only gained 60 yards.
Raiders trailing Steelers after turnover, crucial penalty
The Las Vegas Raiders have a makeshift lineup today against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers because of various injuries to key starters.
The newcomers haven’t helped.
Running back Dylan Laube — a rookie from New Hampshire — fumbled on his first career carry to give the Steelers the ball at Raiders’ 30-yard line.
Six players later, quarterback Justin Fields raced around the edge for a 2-yard touchdown and 12-7 Steelers halftime lead.
The Steelers scoring drive was aided by a roughing the passer penalty on Las Vegas, when defensive lineman Matthew Butler was penalized for a hit on Fields to extend the Steelers’ drive.
Butler is on the active roster for the initial time in six weeks because Christian Wilkins was placed on injured reserve.
The Raiders’ offense looked great on their first drive of the game in going 70 yards for a touchdown. The next three drives were a disaster with Laube’s fumble — when Pittsburgh star T.J. Watt punched the ball out of his arms — and a pair of punts.
Raiders hold slim lead over Steelers, 7-6
The Las Vegas Raiders defense is holding the Steelers in check this afternoon, limiting Pittsburgh to 56 yards through the first quarter and holding a 7-6 lead.
Pittsburgh has twice driven the ball into Raiders’ territory, but each time has been forced to settle for a long field goal from Chris Boswell. Boswell has field goals of 52 and 49 yards.
The Raiders are leaning on running back Alexander Mattison, who has a short touchdown run and 44 total yards.
New starter Aidan O’Connell led Las Vegas to a touchdown on the opening drive of the game. The next two possessions, however, featured a stagnant Las Vegas offense that couldn’t pickup a first down and was forced to punt after three plays.
Aidan O’Connell has completed 7 of 9 passes for 53 yards. Pittsburgh quarterback Justin Fields is 7 of 12 for 54 yards.
The Raiders are leading the Steelers 7-3 after the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
The Las Vegas Raiders offense, with new starting quarterback Aidan O’Connell leading the way, looked sharp on the opening drive of the game against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.
Alexander Mattison’s 2-yard touchdown run capped a 10-play, 70-yard scoring drive to give the Raiders an early 7-3 lead.
O’Connell completed all four of his passes attempts for 45 yards, including a 19-yard completion to Mattison. Brock Bowers had two grabs for 18 yards.
It’s the type of smooth-flowing offense the Raiders have been striving to have all season. Time will tell if it continues to look that way today.
Pittsburgh took an early 3-0 lead on a 52-yard field goal from Chris Boswell to cap on an eight play, 37-yard scoring drive.
Pregame: Jakobi Meyers, Zamir White among Raiders ruled out
The Raiders listed six players as “questionable” on Friday’s final injury report going into today’s home against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Four of them will not play.
Running back Zamir White, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and right tackle Thayer Munford were all included on the just-released inactives report. Rookies Jackson Powers-Johnson, a guard, and Trey Taylor, a safety, will apparently give it a go.
Taylor, a seventh-round pick out of Air Force, will be making his NFL debut after having been out with a knee injury since early in training camp. Powers-Johnson’s availability comes as a sigh of relief for the silver and black as he’s been a big part of the Raiders’ improvement on the offensive line over the last couple games.
But the Raiders’ cluster injury in the skill positions remains a reason for concern. Already down top receiver Davante Adams with a hamstring injury and trade request, Meyers’ absence looms large.
Second-year Tre Tucker, initially slated to start in the slot this season, elevates to the top receiver though rookie tight end Brock Bowers is the true No. 1 target. Alexander Mattison should get the vast majority of the running back snaps with White slated to miss a second straight game.
The Raiders’ other inactives are cornerback Sam Webb and defensive end Janarius Robinson.
Pittsburgh isn’t without its own trouble spots as neither linebacker Alex Highsmith nor linebacker Nick Herbig will play, though both their injury absences had already been announced.
Las Vegas’ impactful inactives report had a small effect in the betting market, where Pittsburgh became a heavier-juiced 3-point favorite in the last few minutes.
Stay tuned for live updates from throughout the game and read below for a full pregame preview of Steelers at Raiders.
Both the Raiders and Steelers went into training camp this summer with questions surrounding their quarterback situations, and they haven’t gone away through five weeks of the regular season.
Las Vegas is making a change at the position, having announced second-year pro Aidan O’Connell will take the starting reins from Gardner Minshew against Pittsburgh.
The Steelers are sticking with former Bear Justin Fields for a sixth straight game, but he might not have much margin for error. That’s because veteran Russell Wilson, whom coach Mike Tomlin named the starter in the offseason, is back practicing in full for the first time having overcome a hamstring injury.
The Raiders are preparing for both opposing quarterbacks, though coach Antonio Pierce said the team’s familiarity with Wilson after he spent the last two years with the divisional rival Broncos makes it easier.
The Raiders had beaten the Broncos eight straight times before a 34-18 loss at Denver last week that saw Minshew fall into a slump and ultimately get benched for O’Connell late in the game.
O’Connell didn’t look great himself, throwing for only 4.7 yards per pass attempt with an interception in garbage time, but has the chance to make up for it against the Steelers.
Favorable matchup: Edge rusher Maxx Crosby vs. Steelers right tackle Broderick Jones
The Raiders’ best player and emotional leader returned against the Broncos after missing the first game of his NFL career two weeks ago. He didn’t look fully recovered from a high ankle sprain suffered in a Week 2 win over the Baltimore Ravens but still managed a pair of sacks. He should only get healthier going forward, and this week might represent one of his most advantageous matchups of the season. The Steelers have been solid across the offensive line with one exception — Jones, at the position across from where Crosby will line up most frequently. The 2023 NFL Draft first-round pick out of the University of Georgia was benched earlier in the season for 2024 first-round pick, and Liberty High grad, Troy Fautanu but the latter has since suffered a knee injury and is now out for the season. Crosby might be extra-motivated to show out with a big performance against the Steelers as he’s repeatedly expressed a desire to be at his best when going against his most decorated peers. Asked a couple weeks ago the other players in the league he considers the best at his position, Crosby immediately mentioned the Steelers’ TJ Watt, the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Problematic matchup: Steelers’ up-front physicality vs. Raiders’ injured lineman corps
The word Raiders’ players have used most commonly to describe the Steelers is the same one they utter seemingly every time these two teams play — physical. Las Vegas says it welcomes that style of play, but the preference was easier to believe a few weeks ago at the start of the season. It may no longer behoove the Raiders to try to win games at the line of scrimmage given the repeated ineffectiveness of their run game and, more importantly, the compounding of injuries. Las Vegas most recently lost Crosby’s top sidekick, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, to a Jones fracture in his foot for at least a month. He’s the second starter to go down for an extended time on the defensive line, joining Malcolm Koonce who’s out for the year. The situation might be even more dire on the offensive line. Four out of five starters — everyone except center Andre James — are on the injury report. Right tackle Thayer Munford (knee) is nearing a return, but neither left tackle Kolton Miller (knee/shoulder) nor left guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (knee) practiced to start the week. Right guard Dylan Parham continues to be limited by Achilles soreness.
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) rushes after a 57-yard reception for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Denver.
Gamebreaker: Tight end Brock Bowers
Jakobi Meyers technically takes over as the Raiders’ No. 1 receiver with Davante Adams out nursing a hamstring injury and awaiting his trade request to be fulfilled, but Bowers is now the true focal point of the passing offense. The rookie first-round pick out of Georgia had team-highs in targets (12), receptions (nine) and receiving yards (97) against the Broncos. He could be in position to continue the success against the Steelers, which have been mediocre in defending opposing tight ends so far this season at No. 20 in the NFL per the DVOA ratings. The question will be how Bowers meshes with O’Connell. The pair connected a couple times late in the game against the Broncos but, during training camp, Bowers clearly had a stronger rapport with Minshew. O’Connell leaned heavier on Adams, fellow tight end Michael Mayer and speedy receiver Tre Tucker. But the former pair aren’t around at the moment as Mayer is expected to miss his third straight game for personal reasons. Minshew threw up a jump ball for Bowers at the start of the Broncos’ game that the tight end grabbed and raced 57 yards for a touchdown. O’Connell would be wise to show Bowers a similar level of trust.
THEY SAID IT
“I take a lot of heat, and I can do it. I’ve been through that, but don’t speak about me when you don’t know what’s going on or speaking about the organization. ‘Oh, something must be going on with Maxx.’ C’mon, bro. You know where I want to be. You think I want to be anywhere else? No. I got (the Raiders’ logo) tattooed on my body. I don’t want to go anywhere.”
Crosby lashing out on analysts and fans who have speculated on a rift between him and Pierce and wondered if he would follow in Adams’ footsteps
“I can assure you that I did not hurt Christian. The reason I did what I did was, last week when we played the Browns, me, (Wilkins) and (Janarius Robinson) combined on the sack, (Wilkins) literally took it upon himself to jump on my back when he was celebrating. When he did that, I literally fell to the ground because all this weight came down on me. So, in the (Broncos’) game, I said I’m going to make sure I don’t hurt him which is why I went over the top instead of straight-up jump on him.”
Defensive tackle Adam Butler denying speculation that he injured Wilkins by jumping on his back to celebrate a sack
“Brock Bowers is a superstar. We said that, and I don’t think I’m putting a label on him. I think it’s real. We all see it, all he does is show up and make plays.”
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce failing to mince words when it comes to his rookie tight end
“I was obviously disappointed in that decision when it happened, but I honestly think on the scout team, you can get a lot of great reps. You’re going against the No. 1 defense every day. And so, I tried to use every day on the scout team to try to better myself, to challenge myself as well as the guys around me.”
O’Connell describing how he responded to the Raiders naming Minshew the starter going into the season
Big Number: $602
The average resale ticket price of Steelers at Raiders is $602, according to Vivid Seats. That’s the highest average price for a game being played domestically this season. The only game higher was the Week 1 showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo, Brazil, when tickets went for an average of $690. Allegiant has a reputation for visiting fans taking over, but it’s been less noticeable so far this year. Pierce has praised the home crowd in both of the Raiders’ home games to this point, but might not be able to this time around. Pittsburgh fans travel in droves and took over Allegiant the last time these teams played, a 23-18 Steelers win in Week 3 of last season. This year might be even more lopsided according to Vivid Seats’ projections. The ticket site forecasts a 56/44 split of fans in favor of the visitors.
Best Bet (4-1): Aidan O’Connell over 178.5 passing yards
The Steelers’ pass defense is overvalued based on this line. The perception is that Pittsburgh has one of the best all-around defenses in the NFL, but the numbers don’t bear that out. It’s been vulnerable through the air, ranking 21st in giving up 6.8 yards per pass attempt. O’Connell will let it rip and attack downfield. It might not always be pretty — one reason he initially lost the quarterback job to Minshew is because too many of those aggressive throws ended in interceptions during training camp — but he’s not going to stop. The diminishing quality of the Raiders’ receiving options is a concern, but this is a number that should be closer to 200 yards.