Las Vegas Raiders 2021 Opponent Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 03: JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers lines up against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on January 03, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 03: JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers lines up against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on January 03, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) /
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Big Ben. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Big Ben. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

Las Vegas Raiders 2021 Opponent Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

Keys to Victory in Week 2

Anytime you have to go across the country and play early on a short week,  there are going to be issues. Who knows how the Raiders are going to come out of Week 1 in terms of injuries, so we will be able to get a better guess on how this one could play out after the tilt against Baltimore.

However, the key for the Raiders will be keeping Watt and company off of Derek Carr, which could be tough if they line him up against rookie Alex Leatherwood. It will be only his second NFL start, and Watt is one of the better defensive players in the NFL, so that is a matchup to keep an eye on.

Overall, they have to get after Big Ben, forcing mistakes, and taking advantage of them when they get them. Hopefully, they can run the ball down Pittsburgh’s throat with Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake, keep it close, and then win on a late field goal.

Going East on a short week is never a recipe for success, so the Raiders could be in danger of starting out 0-2 if they cannot get the job done against Baltimore in Week 1. Overall, they have the talent to beat Pittsburgh, but this is a tough early-season draw for this Las Vegas defense.