Steelers Analysis
DB’s Standouts & Disappointments from Steelers Win over Raiders
DB’s Steelers Standouts & Disappointments from Sunday’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders: Najee Harris ⬆️ Broderick Jones ⬇️
Sunday afternoon was technically a road game for the Pittsburgh Steelers but you’d have never known it based on the amount of terrible towels were in the stands. In typical fashion, they got off to a little bit of a slow start before eventually running away with this one in the second half for a 32-13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders
The season-high 32 points were largely due to turnovers giving the offense fantastic starting field position. This was a game that the team needed in the worst way, not just to get off their two-game slide but because this one wasn’t a fair fight from a talent perspective. As the Steelers continue to keep the pace in the division, let’s take a look at some standouts and disappointments.
Standout: RB Najee Harris
Take a bow, #22. Harris went over the century mark for the first time all season, totaling 107 yards on only 14 carries. The fourth-year pro ripped off several explosive runs on his own accord, none more impressive than his 36-yard scamper that he finished with a space jam-like dive into the end zone for six. Up until today, it had been a slow start to the season for Harris after the Steelers declined his fifth-year option but he’s typically a slow starter that gains steam as the season goes along. It was nice to see him create yardage for himself and if the offensive line can continue to gel, more days like this could be on the horizon.
Disappointment: RT Broderick Jones
The 2023 second-round selection is becoming a regular on this list and not for good reasons. He was tagged with a holding penalty in the first quarter, showing off poor technique. Later in the game he was beaten by Maxx Crosby for a sack and should have probably been called for at least one penalty for mugging him on a separate occasion. There was even one play where he came off the ball as if it was a run play but everyone else on the offensive line pass set resulting in a Justin Fields scramble. The blown assignments have been all too frequent on tape and when you combined that with the lack of development in any other aspect of his game, it’s frustrating to watch unfold. Due to injuries and their investment in him, they have no other choice but to continue rolling him out there.
Standout: EDGE T.J. Watt
Speaking of players that are frequent flyers on this list, Watt was unsurprisingly fantastic yet again today. He punched out two footballs on the afternoon, the second of which took points off the board with the Raiders looking to cut it to a one-score lead. Watt’s pass rush productivity has taken a bit of a hit because of the scheme and the amount of attention that he’s garnering from opposing offenses, specifically in the form of chip blocks off the edge. But his ability to impact the game in so many different ways is just another example of what makes him so special.
Disappointment: WR Van Jefferson
There wasn’t really a moment in this game where Jefferson did anything that necessarily hurt the team as he didn’t even get a target in the contest. However, the lack of productivity from your starting Z-receiver is particularly alarming. Through the first month and a half, he’s accumulated just 62 total yards in six games and is one of the least productive players at his position thus far. With Roman Wilson now in the mix and the team exploring the trade market, he needs to string together some strong performances or he’ll be in danger of losing his role altogether.
Standout: IDL Cam Heyward
You can make a serious argument that he’s been the leagues best run defending interior defensive lineman thus far which is an absurd truth for a 35-year old. Heyward got a favorable matchup in this one, facing off against a rookie left tackle and he dominated exactly like you’d assume he would: a couple quarterback hits, sacking the quarterback once and bench pressing offensive lineman to take back space against the run. How much longer can he realistically keep this up? Who knows, but the Steelers are reaping the benefits from his resurgence in 2024.
Standout: Danny Smith’s Special Teams
As a whole, the special teams considerably favored the Steelers in this one and Smith deserves credit for that. Per usual, Boswell was 4/4 on the day, nailing a 52-yard field goal on the offenses opening drive. Corliss Waitman put two punts inside the Raiders 20. Most importantly, they blocked yet another field goal in what has become a yearly occurrence at this point, this time off the hands (or helmet?) of Jeremiah Moon. It’s clear that the Steelers offense lacks firepower but when you can win the margins like this and set them up in favorable situations, it’s a massive boost to the bottom line.