What We Saw: Week 3

Catch our recap of every game from Week 3

Drew DeLuca
What We Saw A Year Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Saints @ Packers
Colts @ Ravens
Titans @ Browns
Falcons @ Lions
Chargers @ Vikings
Broncos @ Dolphins
Patriots @ Jets
Bills @ Commanders
Texans @ Jaguars
Panthers @ Seahawks
Cowboys @ Cardinals
Bears @ Chiefs
Steelers @ Raiders

Steelers @ Raiders

Final Score: Steelers 23, Raiders 18

Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)

 

Two (1-1) teams struggling to find their identity and rhythm met on Sunday Night Football with the hope of kickstarting their seasons after two games of polarizing sentiments. The first half was a cagey affair with both teams stuttering around the odd big splash play. The second half saw the Pittsburgh Steelers dominate on both sides of the ball for long periods – Kenny Pickett managed the game well and showed good chemistry with George Pickens over the middle whilst T.J. Watt and the Steelers defense terrorized the Las Vegas Raiders offensive line forcing Jimmy Garoppolo into several key errors.

The Steelers suffered from taking their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter, making it interesting going into the final few minutes. However, a cowardly decision from the Raiders to hit a field goal when trailing by eight and some smart quarterback play from Pickett ensured Mike Tomlin‘s side edged over the line.

 

Three Up

  • Kenny Pickett – a mature performance from the second-year quarterback, who played turnover-free football and leaned on his key skill position players to earn the win while being fantasy productive
  • Jakobi Meyers – a standout performance from the former Patriots wideout, who looked quick off the line and saw a healthy 12 targets as a WR2
  • Davante Adams – a huge night for the superstar, who was the only game plan for a one-dimensional Raiders offense – 19 targets and two scores make a fantasy manager happy

Three Down

  • Jimmy Garoppolo – an abysmal showing from Jimmy G, who turned out one of his worst career performances in recent memory, littered with limitations we’ve seen too many times before
  • Najee Harris – the Steelers’ run game is still a big issue and Harris averaged less than four yards per carry while Jaylen Warren flashed his speed and agility – it’s becoming more of a split backfield by the day
  • Josh Jacobs – another pedestrian performance from Jacobs behind an offensive line that is struggling mightily – The only saving grace from a fantasy perspective is there is nobody else challenging him

 

Pittsburgh Steelers

 

Quarterback

 

Kenny Pickett: 16/28, 235 Yards, 2 TD, Sack | 3 Carries, 11 Yards

 

You could not avoid the media and fantasy world bad-mouthing Pickett this week, throwing out statistics highlighting his inconsistent and error-prone play so far this season. But form is temporary, class permanent and the second-year signal-caller found his groove in the second half to lift his team to a win by linking up with his key targets at crucial times. Pickett loves to roll to the left of the line and throw on the run and that’s where he found the most joy, escaping the rush from Maxx Crosby and picking off his receivers downfield. The game-clinching first down was from Pickett avoiding the blitz on the right and rolling left to hit Allen Robinson for an easy first down conversion. Pickett showed great chemistry with Pickens on crossing routes and expertly executed in the red zone, finding his tight end Pat Freiermuth for what turned out to be a game-deciding score in the third quarter.

 

Pickett faced pressure late with the Raiders roaring back into the contest, but he remained composed and protected the football, something absent from the first couple of weeks. He is growing into the season nicely and his decision-making took a big step forward tonight. He added key yardage on a couple of carries; that’s something we would like to see more of. Pickett was a short-yardage threat near the goal line last year but those situations have been few and far between so far in 2023. Room to grow.

 

Notes

  • threw high over his receivers on the first couple of drives after abandoning the pocket early
  • should have thrown a pick-six after Marcus Peters dropped an easy pass from a miscommunication between Pickett and Connor Heyward
  • took a few big shots staying in the pocket but made some great throws like a dart on third-and-long for Pickens on a scoring drive
  • looked composed in the pocket, avoided pressure, and grew with confidence as the game went along

 

Running Back

 

Najee Harris: 19 Carries, 68 Yards | 1 Target

 

Due to the positive game script for the Steelers, Harris recorded a season-high in carries (19) and yards (65) but never looked like breaking off a big play or hitting the end zone. Harris averaged just 3.4 yards per carry and wasn’t effective on inside running lanes throughout, finding more enjoyment on the outside of the zone. Harris did show one nice spin move in traffic that gained him extra yards but coming out of the spin he looked to slow down, not speed up. His measly 17.1 fantasy points in Yahoo! through three weeks is alarming for those fantasy managers who rostered him.

 

Jaylen Warren: 8 Carries, 29 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 23 Yards

 

The other issue with Harris is the emergence of Warren as a legitimate threat to force a split backfield. Warren was still heavily out-carried by Harris but looked more explosive and elusive in his limited action. It was very noticeable to the eye and he often found himself on the field on second down after passing plays on first down, not something you would expect for a change-of-pace back. His output has been more bark than bite (as this performance showed), but the skillset is there to expand his role.

 

Cameron Heyward: 1 Carry, 0 Yards | 2 Targets

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

George Pickens: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 75 Yards

 

It was a solid showing from the exciting second-year wideout despite modest fantasy production. Still, Pickens beat out the defense on every targeted route and if it wasn’t for a couple of inaccurate throws from Pickett he would have hit the 100-yard mark. Pickens did the majority of his damage on a third-down catch-and-run play across the middle for a 32-yard gain in the third quarter. He lined up all over the formation and it was disappointing that Pickett wasn’t given the freedom to throw his way more. Every time he connected with his quarterback, somewhat exciting happened.

 

Calvin Austin III: 6 Targets, 2 Receptions, 72 Yards, TD

 

A year later than he would have liked, but welcome to the NFL Calvin Austin III! The 2022 fourth-round selection missed the majority of last season through injuries but he announced himself and his blistering speed with a 71-yard touchdown pass where he breezed past the Raiders defense through the middle to ignite a Steelers offense that up to that point had been stale. It was also a confidence-boosting moment for Pickett, who grew into the game after nailing this throw to hit Austin in stride. It is worth noting that he could only nab one of his five other targets for a 1-yard gain. We don’t want to label him boom-or-bust but he did struggle in contested situations. He also drew a pass interference call on a third down approaching halftime that set up the Steelers for a field goal to add to their advantage.

 

Pat Freiermuth: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 41 Yards, TD

 

Signs of life from this Steelers offense meant more involvement for promising young tight end Freiermuth, who equaled his season high in targets and hauled in three catches including a 13-yard pass from Pickett for a touchdown. His involvement in the offense hasn’t been what we want from a TE1 with just two catches for five yards including a score going into the game but he was the first look in the first trip to the red zone despite it being late in the third quarter. It may be that his fantasy output is touchdown-dependent, however, he seems to be a key factor in those packages.

 

Allen Robinson II: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 24 Yards

 

Las Vegas Raiders

 

Quarterback

 

Jimmy Garoppolo: 28/44, 324 Yards, 2 TD, 3 INT, 4 Sacks | 2 Carries, 7 Yards

 

It was a case of the good, the bad, and the downright ugly in this game for Jimmy G, who started on a promising high before crashing down to a new low as he failed to turn 12 possessions into a win. Despite two touchdowns owing a lot to Adams, Garoppolo was more responsible for three interceptions and a turnover on downs as Josh McDaniels and his inept offense faltered once again. The only good thing McDaniels did was ring up this play early in the game on fourth-and-inches which Jimmy G just about got away with despite an underthrown ball.

 

That was about as brave and creative as it got for McDaniels and Garoppolo, who then forged on with a dull and uninspiring game plan that saw the quarterback throw short of the line to gain time and time again, resulting in five straight drives that ended in a quick punt. There was no option outside of Adams and Meyers, with each bulking out their fantasy stats with a lot of irrelevant yards through the middle period of the game. When Garoppolo was pressured, which was regular, he crumbled and all his old frailties with inaccuracy and decision-making came to the surface.

 

The most worrying element was even when he wasn’t pressured, Garoppolo seemed to struggle to realize the play call and often threw very late into traffic. The second interception highlighted this factor which was crucial in deciding the contest as the Steelers then engineered a touchdown drive to go ahead 23-7.

 

Notes

  • targeted Davante Adams on first four attempts for three catches for 44 yards – went back to him on fourth-and-inches for a long touchdown on the Raiders’ second drive
  • struggled to find rhythm and pace throughout the first half; allowed the Steelers’ defensive line to rest between plays
  • a Watt sack just before halftime bent Garoppolo backward, with Watt’s weight coming down on his lower leg and ankle – was taken to the locker room early before the half
  • hurried through his usual quick action due to regular pressure from Watt and Alex Highsmith

Missed Opportunities

  • Took a bad sack on third and short near halftime as the Raiders tried to answer back after a Steelers field goal – too slow to progress through his reads at the intermediate level
  • horrific throw resulted in an interception deep in Steelers territory in the third quarter despite plenty of time to throw
  • final offensive play was an abomination as he just threw it up in the air to the sideline on first down

 

Running Back

 

Josh Jacobs: 17 Carries, 62 Yards | 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 18 Yards

 

Another week, another unconvincing performance from Jacobs on the ground despite being given a full workload. Jacobs ran hard but found no joy against a stiff Steelers interior defensive line. With the pass rush consistently penetrating the Raiders’ offensive line, Jacobs spent more time in pass protection than he would have liked as the game plan seemed to focus on Adams and Meyers through the air. He did receive a couple of hard hits after catching passes out of the backfield too, looking visibly shaken.

It said everything that McDaniels decided to kick a field goal twice on fourth down and short yardage rather than trust Jacobs to get the yards with the game on the line. Last year, that would have been a no-brainer.

 

Ameer Abdullah: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Davante Adams: 19 Targets, 13 Receptions, 172 Yards, 2 TD

 

More elite production from Adams on what was a generally disappointing night for the Raiders. The Josh McDaniels experience is one of methodology rather than versatility and for fantasy purposes that suits Adams, who was targeted a remarkable 19 times in this contest. However, that came at the cost of the wider offensive game plan as the Raiders had just seven points with five minutes left in the game prior to Adams’ second score of the night. He had no trouble in contest catches and continues to beat defensive backs at will across the formation.

 

The second score was a positive after the wideout took a huge hit from Cole Holcomb early in the second half and stayed down for a little while. There was a worry he may not come back into the game, especially after exiting last week’s contest due to a heavy hit. But he was back on the field for the Raiders’ next drive and didn’t look back.

 

Adams continued to rack up the targets (he now has 37 across the first three games of this season) and added to an already big fantasy night with some cheap yards in the fourth quarter as the Steelers conceded space underneath.

 

Jakobi Meyers: 12 Targets, 7 Receptions, 85 Yards

 

It was a nice night for Meyers as he consistently troubled the Steelers secondary with his speed off the line and big play ability. Meyers saw double-digit targets for the second time this season and he worked plenty of crossing and outside routes as the Raiders tried to take advantage of his speed and unleash him on the edges. The Steelers couldn’t deal with his separation but generally kept him bottled up after the catch. An outstanding grab on third down at the start of the fourth quarter gave the Raiders an opportunity to stay in the contest and go for it on fourth down but Jimmy G couldn’t connect with him on the following play. Still, with double-digit targets and the likelihood of the Raiders playing from behind regularly, he is a fantastic WR2 start every week based on his usage so far.

 

Hunter Renfrow: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards

DeAndre Carter: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 16 Yards

Michael Mayer: 1 Target, 2 PT

 

The forgotten rookie tight end saw just one target and hauled in a two-point conversion attempt as he went uncovered in the end zone late in the fourth quarter. At no point did he look to be an integral part of the offense.

Series Navigation
Introduction
Saints @ Packers
Colts @ Ravens
Titans @ Browns
Falcons @ Lions
Chargers @ Vikings
Broncos @ Dolphins
Patriots @ Jets
Bills @ Commanders
Texans @ Jaguars
Panthers @ Seahawks
Cowboys @ Cardinals
Bears @ Chiefs
Steelers @ Raiders

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