Depot Roundtable: Week 6 Steelers Vs. Raiders Preview

One week after battling a historic rival in the Dallas Cowboys, the Pittsburgh Steelers turn right around to take on another in the Las Vegas Raiders at 4:05 PM/EST inside Allegiant Stadium.

The Steelers made the trip to Vegas just last season and came away with a 23-18 win. A lot has changed since then from a personnel perspective on both sides of the football, but it could be another ugly game in Week 6 between the two teams that are missing a number of key pieces on both sides of the ball.

There’s a lot of attention around this matchup, though, for all the wrong reasons, including Raiders WR Davante Adams’ trade request, Steelers WR George Pickens’ tumultuous week, and a potential QB controversy brewing for the Steelers with Russell Wilson healthy and likely the No. 2 QB behind Justin Fields Sunday. 

It’s Steelers-Raiders, though. That still means a lot to many.

Here at Steelers Depot, we’re doing something new this season. While Alex Kozora and Dave Bryan give their in-depth breakdown and preview of the game weekly on The Terrible Podcast, Joe Clark, Ross McCorkle, Scott Brown, Troy Montgomery, and I are doing a weekly roundtable, answering key questions ahead of each game.

Today, we examine the Steelers’ Week 6 Sin City matchup between the Raiders and Steelers.

QUESTION 1: WHO IS THE STEELERS’ X FACTOR AGAINST THE RAIDERS?

Josh Carney: WR George Pickens. The last time Pickens found himself under the microscope and facing serious criticism, he responded by taking his first touch 86 yards to the house against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16 last season. That night, he finished with four receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns.

After talking all week about his perceived lack of effort and attitude issues, Pickens needs a big response. The Steelers’ offense, in general, needs a big response after a tough showing against the Cowboys. Get Pickens the ball early, let him get into the flow of the game, and try to make some plays. If he can, this offense could have a big day.

Joe Clark: T.J. Watt. The defense has struggled when the pass rush can’t get home, and Watt is Pittsburgh’s only healthy outside linebacker the Steelers started the season with. The Raiders will bring extra attention his way, but if Watt can still bring the heat, the Steelers will be in good shape against QB Aidan O’Connell.

Ross McCorkle: WR Calvin Austin III. He has only really been involved in the game plan once this season against the Los Angeles Chargers, and he had a really good game. With the passing attack sputtering to a halt last week against the Cowboys, I think it would be wise to work Austin in and take some deep shots. Almost a year ago, Austin had a 72-yard touchdown against the Raiders in Vegas. Why not run it back?

Scott Brown: RB Jaylen Warren. This one comes with a caveat since a) we don’t even know if Warren will play and b) how much he will play if he is active on Sunday. But if Warren has proven anything during his time in Pittsburgh, it is not to doubt him. Najee Harris runs hard and is durable, but he does not provide the juice that the Steelers’ ground game sorely needs. Warren can do that and make the battering Harris that much better since the two complement each other so well.

 Troy Montgomery: TE Pat Freiermuth. There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding George Pickens, so someone else might finally need to step up in the passing game. The Steelers’ run game has been far too inconsistent to rely on. They could be forced to pass even against a weak Raiders defense. Freiermuth should have a favorable matchup this week whether it’s a linebacker or safety. If Pickens has another frustrating week, Justin Fields should look for Freiermuth early and often.

QUESTION 2: WHAT IS THE KEY MATCHUP TO WATCH IN STEELERS-RAIDERS

Josh Carney: OLB Jeremiah Moon vs. LT Kolton Miller. After Nick Herbig left the Cowboys game with an injury, the Steelers’ pass rush was largely non-existent, and Dallas was able to focus heavily on T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward. With Herbig out this week again, Jeremiah Moon needs to step up.

He’ll go against Kolton Miller, who is a solid tackle in his own right but is dealing with various ailments that could hinder him. Moon flashed at times in the preseason and has experience, so this isn’t his first rodeo. But he needs to have an impact for the Steelers on Sunday, period. It cannot be another quiet day for him as a pass rusher. It’ll be a long day for the Steelers’ defense if it is.

Joe Clark: George Pickens vs. Himself. Two weeks, two losses, and two critical mistakes by Pickens. First, the lost fumble against the Indianapolis Colts inside the 10-yard line kept likely points off the board in Week 4. Then it was the 3rd-and-4 drop that led to a 16-play scoring drive by the Cowboys to retake the lead in Week 5.

Pickens played fewer snaps than Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson against the Cowboys, and his frustration seems to be boiling over. When Pickens seemed to be at this point last season, he went and had his best game in Week 16. We’ll see if he can recover from a week of drama to be an impact player against the Raiders.

Ross McCorkle: T.J. Watt vs. DJ Glaze (or Thayer Munford Jr.). We will see if Munford is able to go, but rookie OT Glaze has been starting the last few weeks. The Steelers are down multiple edge rushers, leaving Watt as the only big threat among the group at the moment. That means he needs to produce, or the Steelers’ pass rush might be on the anemic side against the Raiders. They will chip him, double him, and probably even hold him, but Watt needs to find a way to impact this game.

Scott Brown: RB Najee Harris vs. LB Robert Spillane. We could see sparks when these two collide. And that should happen early and often Sunday. Spillane is tied for the NFL lead in tackles, and Harris, well, the Steelers run the ball a lot. Spillane has been a revelation since signing with the Raiders, and he hasn’t forgotten that the Steelers let him walk after the 2022 season. He’ll do everything he can to ensure Harris does not have a breakout game in Las Vegas. And we know what Spillane can do against big backs from Alabama. Just ask Derrick Henry.

Troy Montgomery: CB Beanie Bishop Jr. vs. WR Tre Tucker. Bishop had a brutal game in Week 5, allowing several big plays and committing a handful of penalties. Those are the growing pains associated with an undrafted rookie corner. The coaches seem confident Bishop will bounce back this week, but he will be tested.

The Raiders will be without star receiver Davante Adams on the outside, but that doesn’t leave them without a home run threat. Tucker has blazing speed and has already hauled in a pass over 50 yards this year. The Raiders’ offense isn’t good, but one huge play from Tucker could swing the momentum. Bishop needs to play soundly in this matchup. Otherwise, explosive plays could hurt the Steelers again.

QUESTION 3: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST KEY TO THE GAME FOR THE STEELERS?

Josh Carney: Explosives. Scheme them offensively and hit them with some reasonable success against the Raiders. For the second straight year, it feels like we’re talking about big plays in the passing game being there, but the quarterback passing them up to avoid risk.

Much of that has to do with the style of football the Steelers want to play, which emphasizes avoiding mistakes and negative plays. But on an offense that has struggled to move the football and score points consistently, there needs to be some risk this week to search for the splash. Justin Fields needs a big week to hold onto the starting job, so air it out when they’re there.

Joe Clark: As much as I want to roll with “get the ground game going,” I’ll sound like a broken record if that’s my key again. I’ll go on the other side of the ball – limit the run. The Raiders are not a good running team and will likely feature Ameer Abdullah and Alexander Mattison on Sunday, with Zamir White trending toward missing his second game in a row. Don’t let them beat you. The Steelers struggled against the run versus a Cowboys team that wasn’t good on the ground. Don’t let Las Vegas do the same thing.

Force Aidan O’Connell to make some plays to have a chance and try to capitalize with turnovers. Limiting the ground game is essential to that happening.

Ross McCorkle: Stop the run. The Cowboys could not run the football effectively until they faced the Steelers. This absolutely can’t be another get-right game for a team’s ground game. The Raiders are rushing for 84 yards per game. With the caliber of defense they have, the Steelers should be able to hold them well under that. If they do, this game should be pretty easy to control overall.

Scott Brown: Don’t let (recent) history repeat itself. Mike Tomlin has had some bad losses to the Raiders. From Bruce Gradkowski strafing the reigning Super Bowl champions with 308 passing yards and three TDs in 2009 to Terrelle Pryor’s tone-setting 93-yard romp in 2013, Tomlin and the Steelers know that what looks like an overmatched Raiders team has too often been anything but that.

To that end, bully what looks like a toothless offense (i.e., don’t let the Raiders Rico Dowdle them). Impose your will on a defense that has Maxx Crosby, Robert Spillane, and not much else. That is coaching malpractice if Tomlin is 4-6 lifetime against the Raiders after Sunday.

Troy Montgomery: Do not let QB Aidan O’Connell beat you. The Steelers should be lined up perfectly to demolish the Raiders, who are undergoing a change at quarterback. O’Connell was a rookie last year, and he performed fine. However, there’s a reason he didn’t begin the season as the Raiders’ starter. With Davante Adams officially out for this game and the Raiders offensive line beat up, there’s no reason O’Connell should have a good day against the Steelers.

However, this wouldn’t be the first time a subpar Raiders quarterback shocked the Steelers. Terrelle Pryor eventually changed positions to receiver, and even he beat the Steelers as the Raiders’ starting quarterback. Don’t get cute, and definitely don’t get comfortable. If the Steelers’ defense is as elite as they say they are, it should be a long afternoon for O’Connell.

QUESTION 4: WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR STEELERS AT RAIDERS?

Josh Carney: I felt very good about the last two matchups, predicting relatively easy wins for the Steelers. That backfired in a massive way. So, the faith isn’t there as much this week, especially with how banged up the Steelers are.

This is a bad Raiders team, though, one that has made a QB change, too. They are severely limited on playmakers offensively, and the defense isn’t all that good either. This won’t be pretty whatsoever, but the Steelers find a way to get back into the win column. Steelers 19, Raiders 13.

Joe Clark: I had too much faith in the Steelers the last two weeks. Something about this game makes me feel queasy. Let’s hope I’m wrong three weeks in a row. Raiders 20, Steelers 16.

Ross McCorkle: All logic pointed to the Steelers over the last two weeks. The strengths and weaknesses of each team seemed to match up well, but none of it mattered. So why should I trust that the Steelers will be able to limit one of the worst rushing attacks in the league? Maybe if Jaylen Warren returns and is effective, the offense can get back on track, but I currently have zero faith in this offense. Raiders 17, Steelers 14.

Scott Brown: How can I pick the Davante Adams-less Raiders? Then again, how can I pick against the Davante Adams-less Raiders? I thought there was no way the Steelers would lose to the Cowboys last Sunday. Dallas couldn’t run the ball and couldn’t stop the run, yet managed to do both at rain-soaked Acrisure Stadium.

But Dak Prescott was the difference last week. Second-year Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell won’t be this week, at least not in a way that will extend the Steelers’ losing streak to three games. Steelers 20, Raiders 16.

Troy Montgomery: Somehow, the Steelers are favored to win this game, which should tell you all you need to know about the Raiders. This feels like a game the Steelers should win easily, so naturally, they will make it a dogfight. The Raiders are scrappy and already beat the Baltimore Ravens this year. However, the Steelers are at their most dangerous when they’re down. They should manage to scrape out a victory here. Steelers 17, Raiders 13.