Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers hop on a flight to Sin City on Sunday for a nighttime matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Each team has been sloppy thus far in 2023. What stats, players, and matchups could be the deciding factors on Sunday Night Football tonight?
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Las Vegas Raiders Predictions
While nothing in football is certain, it sure looks like the Steelers and Raiders game should be a competitive battle. Both teams have struggled to put points on the board through two weeks, and each team’s defense has warts that could be exploited by the opposition.
In our Wednesday picks column, three of the pickers selected the Steelers to come away with a victory, while two chose the Raiders to win.
Pressure Is Critical for the Steelers’ Defense
Pressure rates and statistics are all over the place, depending on where one looks. According to Inside Edge, Jimmy Garoppolo has produced the seventh-best passer rating since 2021 when kept clean among 35 qualified passers.
Meanwhile, things look a bit different when pressured. He’s committed nine turnovers on 135 plays since 2021, tied for second worst of 35 qualifying QBs. Only Ben Roethlisberger has a worse mark.
Kenny Pickett’s Red-Zone Woes
Since entering the league a season ago, no quarterback has been worse in the red zone than Kenny Pickett, at least according to Inside Edge. Pickett has the worst pass-attempts-per-TD rate and the worst completion rate (40%) in the red zone.
Nevertheless, Pittsburgh has avoided complete disappointment in the red area of the field. They ranked 23rd in touchdown rate a season ago and were ninth in goal-to-goal situations.
T.J. Watt vs. Jermaine Eluemunor
If you’ve been on the X app over the past few weeks as a football fan, you’ve surely been reintroduced to the everlasting argument about who is better between T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett.
According to Sports Info Solutions, Watt has pressured opposing QBs 19.4% of the time so far in 2023. That mark ranks 21st in the NFL among players with at least five pressures. However, he’s getting home at the ninth-best rate in the NFL. But so far, he’s faced Colton McKivitz and Dawand Jones.
MORE: Steelers vs. Raiders Predictions, Picks, Odds Today
Jermaine Eluemunor may not be on Lane Johnson’s level, but he has been an incredible surprise for Las Vegas since last season. So far, SIS has only one blemish against him in pass protection through two games. Can he slow down the future Hall of Famer?
If he can, it will go a long way for the Raiders offense. Kolton Miller is on the other side, and he should at least survive against Alex Highsmith for the most part. Because the Steelers do not switch sides with their pass rusher, we know the matchups ahead of time.
And the weakness of Pittsburgh’s defense is at cornerback. So if they’re unable to consistently pressure Garoppolo, he’ll likely pick them apart in the secondary.
Can Maxx Crosby Get Some Help?
Maxx Crosby has accumulated 10 pressures and a sack so far on the season, but he needs at least some help on the Raiders’ defensive front to disrupt the Steelers’ young QB.
Dan Moore Jr. is an NFL player deserving of respect for making it to the highest level of his profession, but he’s a jobber. He’s holding a place on the left side of the offensive line until Pittsburgh’s rookie first-round pick Broderick Jones is ready to play at the NFL level.
Tyree Wilson’s length and explosiveness have to start showing up. If not against Moore, then it might be time to chalk up Wilson’s rookie season to one of complete development.
A Stoppable Force Meets a Moveable Object
The least efficient offense in the NFL through two games has been the Steelers. The second-least efficient defense has been the Raiders.
In fact, the numbers don’t get much better dating back to last season, either. Pittsburgh’s offense has the 19th-best EPA mark over that time, and Las Vegas has the second-worst defense still.
Matt Canada has been a punching bag for Steelers fans since becoming the offensive coordinator two seasons ago. Meanwhile, aside from Crosby, Patrick Graham has been working with scraps since becoming the Raiders’ defensive play-caller.
