First and 10: Raiders again Potential Steelers Stumbling Block

Alan Saunders |

Sep 17, 2021

The grand history of the Steelers and Raiders franchises is one of the great rivalries of the 1970s in the NFL, with two powerhouse teams built by legendary head coaches that won a combined seven Super Bowls in a decade and spawned two legendary fanbases that have withstood the test of time.

The recent history of the Steelers and Raiders franchises goes something like this: The Steelers are good and the Raiders stink, and yet more often than not, the Steelers find a way to trip over them.

Since their Super Bowl appearance in 2003, the Raiders have finished above .500 just once, in 2016. In that time, the Steelers have finished below .500 zero times. Yet, in the nine games between the teams in that timeframe, the Steelers are just 4-5 — and they avoided the 12-4 2016 Raiders, the best version of the team.

In 2006 the Steelers were nine-point favorites and lost at Oakland 20-13, despite not diving up a defensive touchdown, when two Ben Roethlisberger interceptions were returned for touchdowns.

In 2009, they were 15-point favorites and lost 27-24 as Pittsburgh native Bruce Gradkowski threw for three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Louis Murphy with nine seconds to play.

In 2012, they were four-point favorites and lost, 34-31 on a Sebastian Janikowski field goal last time expired.

In 2013, they were 2.5-point favorites, gave up a 93-yard touchdown in the first quarter to Terrelle Pryor and never led, losing 21-18.

In 2018, the Steelers were 10.5-point favorites and lost when Derek Carr threw a touchdown pass to Derek Carrier with 21 seconds to play, giving Oakland a 24-21 lead, and Chris Boswell missed a 40-yard attempt as time expired that would have tied the game.

There’s next to connection, other than Carr, between those Raiders teams that the Steelers lost to and the 2021 version, but the Steelers are once again a touchdown favorite and once again, the Raiders are a potential stumbling block.

At least they don’t have any former WPIAL quarterbacks this time around.

News and notes from around the Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football League.

? 2019

? 1966 Steelers “Bullet” Bill Dudley and Walt Kiesling were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Dudley was the team’s first-round draft pick out of Virginia in 1942 and led the NFL in rushing as a rookie with 696 yards and was named first-team All-Pro. He missed the next three seasons while serving in the Army as pilot.

The Steelers traded Dudley in 1947. He finished his career with the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins. After retiring, he worked for the Steelers and Lions as a scout. Dudley died in 2010.

Kiesling was a longtime NFL veteran when he joined the Steelers as a player-coach in 1937. He worked as a guard and tackle for two seasons while also serving as line coach. In 1939, he took over as head coach, and he served in that role until 1945, when he resigned and went to work for the Green Bay Packers.

In 1949, he returned to the Steelers as line coach, and was promoted to head coach after the resignation of Joe Bach in 1954. He spent two more full seasons as head coach, compiling a career 30-55-5 record as the Steelers’ coach.

Kiesling retired in 1957, citing poor health, but stayed on as an aide until his death in 1962 at the age of 58.