Las Vegas Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Predicting the NFL Week 2 winner
The Las Vegas Raiders will attempt to go 2-0 in back-to-back seasons when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Heinz Field.
The Raiders are coming off a 33-27 season-opening overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens at Allegiant Stadium that saw quarterback Derek Carr hit a wide open Zay Jones for a 33-yard touchdown.
Victory came at a price, with the Raiders losing defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (knee) and guard Denzelle Good (knee) for the season.
The injuries don’t end there, as the Raiders will be without Josh Jacobs (toe/ankle), linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski (concussion), guard Richie Incognito (calf), quarterback Marcus Mariota (quad) and safety Roderic Teamer (ankle) for the 10 a.m. PDT kickoff in Pittsburgh.
Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, who suffered a hamstring injury, is listed as questionable but expected to play, Raiders coach Jon Gruden said.
The Raiders’ defense played well against the Ravens, led by Maxx Crosby’s two sacks. The Raiders got in position to win the game when Carl Nassib forced a fumble that was recovered by Darius Philon.
Las Vegas will need to keep the pressure on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but the biggest question going into the game: Can the offensive line give Carr the protection and time he needs to find his wide receivers and star tight end Darren Waller?
The Steelers have been stingy against tight ends and haven’t allowed 100 yards since Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2019 NFL season.
Waller has four straight games in which he hit 100 yards. If he records at least 100 receiving yards on Sunday, he will become the first tight end in NFL history to do so in five consecutive games.
Can the Raiders defense create turnovers again? That will be another key heading into a hostile environment.
The matchup and the pick
Kickoff: 10 a.m. PDT Sunday at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh
Fresno TV/radio: KGPE (Ch. 47.1)/ ESPN (AM 1430)
Records: Raiders 1-0; Steelers 1-0
Line: Steelers favored by 6.5
Anthony Galaviz’s prediction: Steelers 23, Raiders 20
Analysis: We picked the Raiders in the Monday Night Football opener. Not only did they cover the spread, they came away with the outright victory over Baltimore. ... This week, every expert out there is picking the Steelers and that is understandable because the Raiders are coming off a short week and banged up. ... Creating turnovers figures to be key for Las Vegas to pull off a second straight upset and win in Pittsburgh. .... The Raiders have managed to go 2-2 without Jacobs since he joined the team to begin the 2019 season, but this is a tough trip for the Raiders, on a short week, with a ton of other injuries. .... Can they pull out a win? The odds and some recent history say no: The Raiders’ last win in Pittsburgh came in 2009 (27-24). Can the Raiders get a win Sunday? It wouldn’t be a total shock, but the pick is the Steelers by three.
