Steelers @ Raiders
Final Score: Steelers 32 – Raiders 13
Writer: Brendan Boe (@BeeBoeFF on Twitter)
While the Steelers wouldn’t throw the ball, the Raiders just flat-out couldn’t. And yeah, I get it: Justin Fields loves to produce using his legs, and the Raiders were without their top 2 wide receivers. If you haven’t seen this game, I advise that you watch the Najee Harris highlights and then move on with your life. The rest of the game was a slog.
Two Up
- Najee Harris – Super tough running and fought through defenders for excellent gains. He also had the highlight touchdown run of this game.
- Brock Bowers – He was basically the entire Raiders receiving core. He had double the targets of the next man up and showed strength to earn extra yards.
Three Down
- Tre Tucker – He was slated to be at the top of the pecking order but managed to lay a goose egg. Poor passing from the Raiders didn’t help the situation.
- Jaylen Warren – Grossly inefficient and couldn’t convert multiple first downs. This backfield is not a committee; Warren is playing second fiddle.
- Pat Freiermuth – Not much was needed in the passing game to seal the win, plus Freiermuth had a touchdown called back due to an error from Fields.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback
Justin Fields: 14/24, 145 Yards | 11 Carries, 59 Yards, 2 TD
The first drive opened with 4/4 in the passing game, and throughout this matchup, Fields showed patience while under heavy pressure, particularly from Maxx Crosby. That being said, the passing numbers are not what wowed me, as is expected with Fields; the dude loves to run. His dual-threat capabilities and great vision on the ground were on display as he had the 2nd highest team carries, earning several first downs in crucial moments. 33% of his passes went to George Pickens, but unfortunately, the chemistry didn’t seem to be there as they only connected three times, with Fields overthrowing him on multiple plays. Some costly mistakes led to sacks for lost yardage, but the most vital error was having a touchdown to Pat Freiermuth called back since Fields threw the ball while clearly beyond the line of scrimmage. He should’ve known better, but this didn’t stop them from getting the win.
The fake. The run. The score.
Justin Fields takes it himself to extend the @Steelers lead!
📺: #PITvsLV on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/qjlIx1oZKG— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
Running Back
Najee Harris: 14 Carries, 106 Yards, 1 TD | 2 Catches, 16 Yards
This dude is tough as hell. Harris fought through multiple defenders on several plays to turn short gains into 10+ yard plays and 1st downs, doing everything he could to stay on his feet and clobber his way to extra yardage. Outside of some trouble from Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, three defenders were required to stop Najee, and even then, he would drag them along for a few extra yards. With 7.6 yards per carry, he was highly efficient on the ground, with two plays in particular skewing those numbers. The first was a shake-and-bake for a fantastic ankle breaker, opening up a run of 26 yards. The highlight play of this contest was another fight through defenders where he sidestepped, then booked it down the sideline, diving into the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown. This was a truly phenomenal performance by Najee, and he was the clear MVP.
NAJEE HARRIS ARE YOU SERIOUS!?
📺: #PITvsLV on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/6uP3rKdzdD— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
Jaylen Warren: 6 Carries, 7 Yards | 3 Catches, 11 Yards
The much less efficient back on this team, Warren struggled to find anything meaningful on the ground. While teammate Najee Harris was dragging defenders along, Warren even struggled to earn minimal yardage on multiple 1st down situations. Perhaps he’s still recovering from injury, or maybe he’s being relegated to a change-of-pace back, but his lack of impact on an otherwise successful rushing attack was noticeable mostly because he was responsible for the majority of the team’s poor runs. He even dropped a short lateral pass and was thankfully able to recover it, lest he be responsible for a turnover, too. Whatever his deal was on this day, he flat-out didn’t look good.
Jonathan Ward: 3 Carries, 13 Yards | 1 Catch, 4 Yards
Aaron Shampklin: 1 Carry, -2 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
George Pickens: 3 Catches, 53 Yards
It was a relatively quiet day for the #1 receiver, but he accounted for 1/3rd of the team’s total targets. His catches were excellent, particularly a gorgeous 31-yard low catch where he rolled over twice to finish the completion and set up 1st and goal. However, his performance wasn’t without errors, with a particularly notable mistake where he bobbled a well-delivered ball and couldn’t complete the catch. Justin Fields overthrew him multiple times.
Pat Freiermuth: 2 Catches, 16 Yards
Both of his catches were great but for short gains. His day would’ve been much bigger had his touchdown not been called back, but Justin Fields made the pass beyond the line of scrimmage, nullifying any level of significance that Freiermuth would’ve had in the passing attack. As is known to happen with tight ends, this was just another disappearing act that is all too common for the position. All of this said, his blocking helped the success of Najee Harris, who ran all over the Raiders.
Najee Harris with 15 of the toughest yards you'll see 😤
📺: #PITvsLV on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/N0pAvRGcGo— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
Calvin Austin: 2 Catches, 36 Yards
The Steelers’ passing game was quiet across the board, but Austin managed to haul in a couple of big plays regardless. Most notably, he made a great catch for a crucial 1st down with 20 yards on the play.
Darnell Washington: 1 Catch, 9 Yards
Conner Heyward: 1 Catch, 4 Yards
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback
Aidan O’Connell: 27/40, 227 Yards, TD, INT
This guy showed no love to his wide receivers, as he didn’t target one until the final minute of the first half. Almost every pass he attempted was to a tight end (mainly Brock Bowers) or a running back. This came as no surprise, as Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers were inactive in this contest, but after passing 4/4 in the first drive, I expected him to air it out to his receivers a bit more. Maybe he should have because, in the next two drives, the Raiders went 3-and-out. 25% of his passes were check-downs to running backs, and while Alexander Mattison successfully hauled in all 5 targets, Ameer Abdullah had much less success outside of 1 catch for 12 yards. O’Connell didn’t seem confident, relied on Bowers and his running backs, and overthrew the ball multiple times.
Running Back
Alexander Mattison: 14 Carries, 33 Yards, TD | 5 Catches, 32 Yards
Despite being inefficient with 2.4 yards per carry, Mattison was a shining star on a poor offense. With Zamir White inactive, Mattison maintained his role as the lead back, but this time as a workhorse. The first drive showed great promise, as he rushed three times in a row, earned two 1st downs in the process, then made a catch in wide open space for 19 yards, setting up 1st and goal at the 2-yard line. He capped off the drive with two goalline carries as he fought through the line on the second one for the team’s first touchdown. Aside from Brock Bowers, Mattison was the other crutch for Aidan O’Connell, as he caught all 5 targets on check-downs. The remainder of the game yielded less success relative to his excellent performance at the beginning, but the team leaned on him to get the job done, and, unfortunately, he wasn’t able to carry the weight of a sub-par passing attack.
Alexander Mattison with authority!#PITvsLV | 📺 @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/rfpiol5AxY
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) October 13, 2024
Ameer Abdullah: 4 Carries, 24 Yards | 3 Catches, 13 Yards
Despite his total rushing numbers being more efficient, Abdullah played second fiddle in this backfield. And rightfully so, as he had some issues with ball security. He almost had a touchdown after bouncing off some defenders, but his knee was down just short of the line. He was given a red zone carry at the 1-yard line after a gorgeous run but fumbled and lost the ball on the very next play. He was also used in special teams, where he nearly muffed a punt return but managed to get his hands on it. Had he not lost the fumble, his day would’ve been of little note, but this egregious mistake likely sealed the fate of the Raiders.
Dylan Laube: 1 carry, 0 yards | Fumble Lost
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Brock Bowers: 9 Catches, 71 Yards
With 10 targets on the day, Bowers was integral in keeping several drives alive. Over 31% of the team’s receiving yards and 25% of the total team targets went to Bowers, and he shined as the only true consistent weapon in the Raiders’ passing game, as well as the crutch for Aidan O’Connell in several 1st down situations. He fought hard for those first downs, too, powering forward through tough defenders when an extra yard or two was needed to keep the ball moving. His efficiency was lower than expected at 7.9 yards per catch, but this can be attributed to being massively utilized in short-passing situations where he earned significant yardage after the catch. His day would’ve been even bigger after making a gorgeous 18-yard catch, but to no fault of his own, it was called back due to an offensive penalty. This 1st round rookie has been living up to his hype as one of the premiere tight ends across the whole league; expect great things from him this season and in his future.
Called back for a hold but this is a sick catch from Brock Bowers. The Raiders rookie is already one of the best tight ends in the NFL pic.twitter.com/rB7nkWasns
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) October 13, 2024
Tre Tucker: 0 Catches, 0 Yards
One of the biggest surprises of the day was that Tucker couldn’t get anything done despite Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers being inactive. Sub-par quarterback play didn’t help the situation, as both of his targets were off, with his first being overthrown even though Tucker lost his footing. He’s truly a boom/bust option, and the Raiders sorely needed a boom performance from him here.
DJ Turner: 2 Catches, 37 Yards
Most of his production came on a tremendous contested catch where he fought off two defenders to complete a 30-yard gain. His one highlight play was vital to keep the Raiders drive alive.
Kristian Wilkerson: 2 Catches, 18 Yards, 1 TD
He caught the only receiving touchdown for the Raiders on a great slant route, and despite having low volume with 3 targets, both of his catches were made inside the Steeler’s red zone.
Alex Bachman: 3 Catches, 31 Yards
Harrison Bryant: 3 Catches, 24 Yards