The Las Vegas Raiders opened up the scoring against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football, but it was the Steelers who got the last laugh in their 23-18 victory at Allegiant Stadium. On Vegas’ first touchdown of the game, a 32-yard pass to WR Davante Adams, Steelers CB Patrick Peterson was almost laughably late reacting on the play, something he blamed the lights at Allegiant Stadium for after the fact.
“I was replacing the free safety because Jakobi Meyer ran the over route. So Minkah came out of the middle of the field, so I had to go, I gotta run directly to the middle of the field to the post, and as soon as I look back, these lights are kinda weird man, I lost the ball,” Peterson said on the Sunday Night Football Postgame show on NBC.
The Steelers responded on their next drive with a quick strike touchdown, with QB Kenny Pickett hitting WR Calvin Austin III downfield for a 72-yard score. The Peterson play was a bad one, but it was also pretty funny to watch. It’s probably a lot funnier now knowing that the mishap didn’t end up contributing to a Raiders victory.
The coverage was right all along, with Fitzpatrick needing to come down and cover the crosser in Jakobi Meyers while Peterson had to retreat back. He wasn’t completely out of place but was just late reacting to the ball.
Peterson looked like he was glitching, reacting seconds late and jumping to try and make a play on the ball while Adams already had it secured on the ground and headed into the end zone. It was like he was playing Madden and pressed triangle to jump only for his Internet to lag and come back a few seconds later.
The bigger concern is that Peterson has struggled finding the ball in the air for a lot of this season, but he did come down with his first interception as a member of the Steelers. It was an absolute gift from Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo, but everyone loves a gift, and at least Peterson was able to find the ball and make a play on it.
It was redemption for his earlier miscue, and one of three Steelers interceptions on the night, with Levi Wallace also snagging two for the Black and Gold. The Steelers led the league with 20 interceptions last season, and they’re off to a nice start with four so far in their first three games in 2023.
If the Steelers somehow manage to make it to the Super Bowl though, Peterson is going to have to be ready for those pesky Allegiant Stadium lights, since this year’s Super Bowl will take place in Las Vegas.
Then again, if the Steelers do make it to the big game, they won’t have to worry at all about guarding their fellow AFC foe in Adams, who torched them for 13 receptions and 172 yards with two touchdowns. I think the Steelers’ secondary would rather deal with some bright lights than Adams for a second time this season.
Watch the full interview below.
