As we’ll do every week to get you ready for the upcoming game, our X-Factor of the week. Sometimes it’s a player, unit, concept, or scheme. Here’s our X-Factor for Sunday night’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
X-FACTOR: Run Game
Nuts and bolts. It doesn’t get any more basic than that. Run. The. Ball. And if Pittsburgh can’t do it against the Raiders, there’s even bigger problems then you think. Not that things don’t look bleak right now.
The Steelers have to establish the run. There’s not other option. Of course, that’s always their goal, they never have a plan of “let’s not run it well” but the Raiders are ripe for the picking. They’re not a good run defense, middling against Denver and bad against Buffalo in last week’s blowout loss. Their interior line isn’t anything special and their edge players are nondescript out of Maxx Crosby. Chandler Jones hasn’t played all year while rookie Tyree Wilson has been a mess so far, looking every bit like a rookie who got a late start due to a foot injury.
As we’ve stressed, the Raiders play one base personnel package. A 4-2-5 with two linebackers on the field. No matter the offensive personnel. Put eleven offensive linemen out on the field and yup, Vegas will still be a two linebacker team. One of them is ex-Steeler Robert Spillane, who hasn’t missed a snap in two games for the team, while the other is Divine Deablo, a college safety who made the transition to inside linebacker. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren can and should get downhill and run between the tackles. Preferably with some power, some guards pulling and getting on the move.
Pittsburgh has to have a clear gameplan. Come out heavy, bring out people like TE Darnell Washington and really even rookie OT Broderick Jones, and pound the rock inside. Any other plan is the wrong one. The Steelers need a run game, they’re lacking it, and they need to fix it. This is the week to impose your will, get your swagger back, and find some success. If it can’t happen this weekend, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Not often or consistently enough to put this team in the playoffs, at least.
It’s really that basic. And I’m not going to hunt some incredibly detailed point or key to this game. This is where the Steelers need to make their mark. This is the time to do it. Get it done.
