It wasn’t pretty, but the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders, 32-13. The game ended up not being close, but it didn’t start off so hot. The Steelers’ defense got gashed early, but they stood tall and smothered the Raiders for the rest of the game. However, Patrick Queen still isn’t satisfied with some of results from the game, unhappy that the Raiders scored a second touchdown.
“There’s a lot of plays out there that we missed on both sides of the ball, and we know that,” Queen said after the game via the team’s YouTube channel. “It’s that [second to] last drive where we let them go down and score, that’s one that we all want back. I want [it] back especially because I know on that slant on the second window I could have had that play.”
Queen is correct that the Steelers did leave some plays on the table. However, they also had a ton of incredible moments too. T.J. Watt forced two fumbles, Donte Jackson had an interception, and they beat the Raiders up all day. It’s good to chase perfection, and there’s no shame in taking pride in that game.
Mike Tomlin probably loves hearing that kind of mindset from Queen. He doesn’t want any of his players to ever be satisfied. He wants them to continue trying to reach greater heights. Queen and the rest of the defense had a fantastic day, but there are always avenues to improve.
It’s unclear which play Queen is talking about specifically, but he did not have his best moments during that drive. On a first down, tight end Brock Bowers ended up taking him for a ride, and the Raiders picked up a nice gain.
Queen also seemed in position to get an interception during that drive too. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell made a throw over the middle, and Queen was in good position. It looks like he bit on the wrong receiver to start, though, resulting in him being a step late to find the ball.
He shouldn’t lose much sleep over that touchdown drive. The Raiders had already basically lost at that point. They scored with less than five minutes left in the game, and the Steelers were up 29-13. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world. It’s good that Queen still wants to be better too. The Steelers’ defense has struggled at times this year, and it will need to be sharper down the stretch. This game was a good step forward though.
