The Las Vegas Raiders take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16, and here are three things to keep an eye on in the matchup.
Week 16 brings another AFC matchup for the Las Vegas Raiders, as they head to Western Pennsylvania to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Silver and Black were able to keep their slim playoff hopes alive in Week 15 on a last-second touchdown by Chandler Jones but will need to win out, and get help to punch their ticket to the postseason for the second straight year.
The Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive last weekend as well, getting a much-needed win against the Carolina Panthers. This is going to be an interesting matchup on Christmas Eve night, the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception.
Here, we look at some early storylines for this matchup.
Raiders at Steelers 2022 Week 16: 3 things to watch
Derek Carr in the cold
Anyone who has watched the Raiders since Derek Carr took over as the starting quarterback knows he can be downright atrocious in these kinds of temperatures. The temperature is expected to dip into the single-digits for this matchup, and Carr has never won a game he has played in when the number goes below 32 degrees.
To beat the Steelers, Carr is going to have to change that narrative, and his play should be the deciding factor between a win or a loss on Saturday night.
Can the Raiders stop Najee Harris?
The Raiders’ defense has had a tough time stopping the run this season, and they play against a solid young running back in Najee Harris in Week 16. Harris is finally looking healthy and shouldered a big load this past weekend, so the expectation is that he should get the ball at least 20 times in the run game against Las Vegas.
Stopping Harris and forcing Kenny Pickett to beat them is priority No. 1 for this Raiders defense because at this point, Pickett is not good enough to beat any team with his passing alone.
Crosby or Watt?
This game will feature a matchup of two of the best young defenders in the NFL, as the Steelers counter Raiders star Maxx Crosby with TJ Watt. These are two very exciting players to watch, and you can be sure they will both make their presence felt in the pass rush on Saturday night.
How can the Las Vegas Raiders make the playoffs this season?
The Las Vegas Raiders needed to win out and get help across the last four weeks of the season, and they kept their slim playoff hopes alive on Sunday.
The key will be which offensive line can keep their quarterback upright, because you know both coaching staffs are going to try and find a way to get these two involved early and often. If Watt has his way with this Raiders offensive line on Saturday night, Carr could be in for a long night.