After tough losses in back to back games, the Steelers rebounded yesterday in Vegas with their biggest win of the season. The Steelers hung 32 points on the Raiders, their biggest offensive output since Week 16 of last year.
In many ways, this game was an anomaly: the Steelers defense was over-delivering for even fans with the highest expectations for them, forcing three turnovers and holding Vegas to one touchdown until midway through the fourth quarter.
On offense, the Steeler Way of playing football dominated the day. Najee Harris was a tank and Justin Fields did what he needed to do.
Even special teams had some key moments, like when Jeremiah Moon blocked a punt.
It was the kind of success (and luck) that felt like a perfect storm. Rarely, if ever, can the Steelers get all three of these facets clicking at the same time. But that’s what happened yesterday. Let’s talk more about it.
1: The Najee Harris Revenge Game
Najee Harris has suffered some underwhelming games this season. He entered today coming off his two worst rushing totals this season, with last week seeing him only manage 42 yards on 14 carries.
Harris ran like a man possessed yesterday, gaining 104 yards on 14 carries and leaping into the endzone for a touchdown, his first of the season.
I would argue this was the most important score of the game. Harris’ dive really put this game out of reach for the Raiders, who were spinning out of control as the game went on.
The dominance of Harris was the biggest factor in Pittsburgh doing what they wanted to do on offense. We’ve seen what happens when their run game isn’t working – and it’s not pretty.
One more point on Harris: his excellence was especially crucial given Jaylen Warren’s struggles. Warren will be better moving forward but he had a rough day today in his first game back.
2: TJ With The Right Hook!
For all we talk about how great TJ Watt is, not enough attention is paid to how well he can force fumbles. He throws more punches in a football game than anyone I have ever seen, and while most of the time he just looks a little wild, yesterday he managed to punch out not one ball, but two.
The first punch out led to a Steelers touchdown, giving the Steelers the lead. And even though the second one did not result in a score, it killed over five minutes on the clock, helping ensure a Pittsburgh win.
It just goes to show that Watt can be a game wrecker even if he doesn’t bring the quarterback to the ground.
3: Calvin Austin Continues To Bloom
I think this has been a great year for Calvin Austin so far. The wideout has sort of been pigeonholed into the WR2 role for the Steelers this season, being the only wide receiver that the Steelers make an emphasis on targeting a handful of times throughout the game.
He caught a pair of passes for 36 yards today, and he would have had a big gain if Justin Fields had thrown that deep ball to him with just a tad more accuracy (or if Austin was just a little bit taller).
Overall though, another great game from him, including on special teams. Austin was able to fake everyone out on a punt return, pretending to catch the ball as it had actually bounced towards the endzone. He convinced the Raiders he caught it, and secured the touchback to get the ball at the 20-yard line.
He’s got a great football mind and I think he is a very useful asset to this team. I’d much rather prefer he not be the WR2, but that’s a conversation for another day.
4: Justin Fields On The Run
I understand the sentiment that Justin Fields didn’t have a tremendous day yesterday. He went 14/24 for 145 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns.
His throws weren’t super crisp, and I thought he made some poor decisions in the middle of the field – that interception that was negated by a penalty and the failed two-point conversion come to mind.
But for what he lacks as a passer I still believe he makes up for as a runner. Russell Wilson is still most likely a more accurate passer than Fields, but I don’t think Wilson can score either one of the rushing touchdowns that Fields did in Vegas.
Fields ran for 59 yards on 11 carries overall, figures I don’t think Wilson would threaten at all.
But I think if there was a time to take Fields out for Wilson, it was before yesterday’s game. Whatever role you think Fields played in the win in Vegas, I just don’t know how you take him out after the offense put up 30+ points.
In that sense, it’s very similar to what Mason Rudolph did last year.
5: Roman Wilson Does Not Exist
I’m very sorry to inform you that Roman Wilson is not a real person. After being inactive for the first five weeks of the season, Pittsburgh’s third round pick from this spring finally made his NFL debut yesterday, but did not get involved much in the passing game.
Wilson played sparingly and mostly in a blocking role; his first snap didn’t come until the second quarter.
The Steelers are likely playing it cautious with Wilson as he comes back from that high ankle sprain he suffered in training camp, but let’s hope the Steelers aim to get Wilson some targets next week against the New York Jets.
Until I actually see him catch a pass, I will be skeptical that Roman is a real person.
(Featured photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
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