NFL Week 3 Preview - Steelers Defense vs. Raiders Offense



Hopefully Woodley Tees Off on
Carson Palmer and the Raiders


If you listen to Mike Tomlin's weekly press conference you will hear him make the opponent's defense seem like the '85 Bears defense and their offense like the best thing since the "Greatest Show on Turf".  Nonetheless, the Steelers have to put together another complete game to get a "W" in Oakland.  The parody in the NFL this year is almost unparalleled, which means nothing is guaranteed, but who will win the battle between the Steelers D and the Raiders O?

- Run Defense Can't Sleep vs Oakland - I've said this time and time again, but the Steelers defense is not nearly what it used to be.  I'm not saying that it is going to be a problem, but I am saying that SteelerNation can't expect to see the run stopping they are accustomed to.  The Steelers used to give up 25 - 50 yards rushing like it was nothing.  Now they might give up 50 - 75 yards per game, but that still can lead to victories.  The Raiders are a team that wants to run the ball, but have failed miserably this year.  They are one of the few teams that has a less yards per carry average than the Steelers at 2.0 yds/carry.  The Defense needs to keep it that way if they intend to create their first winning streak of this young season.

- Injuries Continue to Mount for Steel Curtain - The Steelers got the job done vs the Jets last week without Troy Polamalu and James Harrison, but they can't go a long stretch without two of their more dynamic playmakers on the field.  It is looking like both Harrison and Polamalu will be out again for the Steelers this week, but should fans be concerned?  Yes, and for alot of reasons.  The Raiders always play the Steelers tough...maybe its those classic Steve Sabol films that show the classic 70's rivalries, but these games are always competitive.  Carson Palmer knows the Steelers defense well, and has beaten them before.  He might not have the weapons he had those years in Cincinnati, but he has enough to make the defense play honest.

- Secondary Taking Advantage of Opportunities - Yes, Carson Palmer knows the Steelers well.  However, the Steelers also know Carson Palmer well and that means they can take advantage of Palmer's mistakes.  Palmer is known for that crucial INT.  Think back to when Troy Polamalu intercepted a pass, danced through the entire Bengal team, and ran over Palmer (his college roommate at USC) to score a TD.  Think to Lamarr Woodley dropping into coverage and intercepting a pass and skating into the endzone untouched.  Think about Polamalu's INT that he returned for a TD that re-injured his achilles that put him out for almost the remainder of the season a few years ago.  Palmer will give a defense opportunities, but the defense needs to cash in on them...its time to get the first INT of the year!

- Sack the QB - The Steelers started to ramp up their QB pressure last week against Mark Sanchez, and Carson Palmer is another pocket passer like Sanchez.  With that being said, look for the Steelers to get after Palmer early and often.  The Steelers have the unique ability to blitz / put pressure on the QB from many different positions.  However, with the pressure possibly being given early and often, the defense needs to be aware of Darren McFadden and the screen game.  The Steelers have been known to be gashed on obvious blitzing downs by screen passes, and McFadden can catch the ball as well as he can run it.  This without Troy in the secondary could be a huge factor in this game.

- Beware of the Deep Ball - The Steelers have been known to give up the deep ball from time to time.  Just look back to Andy Dalton's deep ball to AJ Green last year to show you that even with Troy in the secondary there is a chance of someone getting behind the secondary.  Even though the Raiders long time owner Al Davis is long gone, they still like to play the style of football that he did.  Chuck it deep.  The Raiders love throwing the long ball to their speedy core of WRs and the Steelers need to defend it or this could be in for a long day.

It is shaping up to be a classic game that the Steelers should win if they play to their potential.  The offense needs to click on all cylinders and continue to rule the possession battle for the 3rd week in a row while running the ball more effectively.  The defense needs to get after Palmer, make the Raiders one dimensional, and go into the bye 2-1 and hopefully getting alot of their injured players back after the break.