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Steel City Underground scouts the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponents each week of the 2024 NFL regular season ahead of the games to inform fans of the latest news, roster moves, important players, and latest social media chatter.
The 3-2 Pittsburgh Steelers are set to face the 2-3 Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday at 4:05 p.m. at Allegiant Stadium as both historic franchises do battle with another for a third consecutive season.
In 2023 the Steelers went into Las Vegas and made a statement in a 23-18 win. Previously in 2022, the two teams clashed in Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve where the Steelers won a close game dedicated to Franco Harris and the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception.
A lot has changed between both organizations over the past few years and the teams heading into Sunday’s matchup feature new and familiar faces on both sides of the football. Here are some of the major highlights to scout for in this game.
Who’s starting at quarterback?
The Steelers aren’t the only team with a question mark at the quarterback position as the Raiders make a change at the position heading into Sunday. Following a slow start with Gardner Minshew as the starting quarterback, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce was non-committal in naming the team’s QB earlier in the week. However, it is now confirmed that Minshew is being benched for second-year pro Aidan O’Connell.
O’Connell, a fourth-round draft pick of the Raiders in 2023, will be making his eleventh NFL start and first of the 2024 season. Last season, O’Connell completed 62.1% of his 343 passes for 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He has 32 attempts this season for 176 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Those figures may not be an uptick over Minshew, who has thrown for 1,014 yards through five games but has four touchdowns to five interceptions and has been sacked 15 times. Both passers have struggled to protect the football in general, with O’Connell fumbling four times in his ten starts last season while Minshew added to fumbles to his turnover margin through five weeks.
The Raiders locker room appears to be behind the young O’Connell, but it remains to be seen if he can advance a Raiders offense that only scored ten points against the Denver Broncos last weekend.
Weakened pass rush
While we know the Steelers are dealing with their own injury bug to outside linebackers Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and DeMarvin Leal, the Raiders are similarly pressed to get after the quarterback with reserves as well. Their pass rush took a massive hit when Christian Wilkins was placed on injured reserve this week due to a Jones fracture. Wilkins had two sacks and six quarterback hits in five games.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby is among the league’s elite pass rushers, often in the NFL Defensive MVP conversation alongside Steelers LB T.J. Watt. Crosby has a respectable five sacks in four games this season, but has been hampered with an ankle injury that saw him as a DNP in Wednesday’s practice. He was able to return in last week’s game against Denver after being inactive in Week 4 against the Browns. His progress will be monitored through the week.
When the Steelers have the ball
If Crosby can’t go, he’ll cede playing time to second-year DE Tyree Wilson, the Raiders first round pick from one year ago. The seventh overall pick of the 2023 draft appeared in 17 games last season collecting 3.5 sacks as a rotational player. Wilson is still trending as a backup to Crosby and Janarius Robinson, but is still a player to keep an eye on during passing downs.
Another familiar face to Steelers fans is middle linebacker Robert Spillane, who has flourished in Las Vegas’ system. Spillane leads the NFL with 54 tackles and has at least ten tackles in each of the Raiders five games played. He is the only player in the league to do so this season.
Pittsburgh will also need to keep an eye on S Tre’von Moehrig, who had an interception two weeks ago and has knocked down a pass in each of his last two contests.
When the Raiders have the ball
With O’Connell in the huddle the Steelers will face some unpredictability during the quarterback’s first 2024 start. His top target, WR Davante Adams, has been the subject of trade rumors over the last few weeks, sitting out the team’s last two games since being blown out by the Carolina Panthers 36-22. Adams is reportedly sidelined with a hamstring injury, and not due to his unhappiness with the organization.
Coach Pierce has stated that if and when Adams is healthy, he will play. (Adams was a DNP for Wednesday’s practice.)
The Raiders may also be without their other starting wide receiver, Jakobi Meyers, who missed Wednesday’s practice with a knee injury. Starting tackles Kolton Miller (DNP, Knee/Shoudler) and Thayer Munford Jr. (Limited, Knee/Ankle), plus starting guard Dylan Parham (Limited, Achilles) all showed up on the injury report as well. Starting running back Zamir White, was also a DNP, and both Munford and White were inactive last Sunday against the Broncos.
This leaves Las Vegas in a potential situation with a backup quarterback making his first start of the season, without their starting running back, two starting receivers, and as many as three starting offensive linemen. O’Connell will have to lean heavily on feeding the ball to rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who leads his team with 28 catches for 313 yards and a touchdown through five games.
Steelers Scouting Report: Las Vegas Raiders, Week 6 appeared first on Steel City Underground.