Bucky's Breakdown: Observations from the Raiders' Week 6 loss

Oct 15, 2024 at 04:50 PM

Bucky Brooks

NFL.com Analyst

Bucky Brooks breaks down the Raiders' performance in a 32-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

BIG IMPRESSION

The Raiders dropped a tough one at home to the Steelers due to a series of self-inflicted mistakes that cost the team potential points and game-changing momentum. Though the Steelers made big plays at crucial moments, the Raiders' miscues (three turnovers) and faulty execution prevented the Silver and Black from knocking off an AFC playoff contender in a matchup that could have serious postseason implications down the road.

KEYS TO VICTORY

The Raiders could not overcome a minus-three deficit in the turnover battle. The costly giveaways robbed the team of points and enabled the Steelers to control the game for most of the contest. With the Steelers also blocking a punt to set up another scoring opportunity, the Raiders gift-wrapped the win to Mike Tomlin's squad with their crucial errors. Given the razor-thin margin of error for the Raiders due to their offensive and defensive struggles, the team will continue to lose if they are unable to play clean football consistently going forward.

O'CONNELL'S OPPORTUNITY

The second-year pro put up decent numbers against one of the NFL's toughest defenses, but he did not lead the offense to enough scores to keep the game competitive. Though the Raiders' turnovers undermined his performance, O'Connell deserves kudos for spreading the ball to seven different receivers while prioritizing Brock Bowers as the Raiders' No. 1 option in the passing game. Considering Davante Adams' departure forces the team to reshuffle the deck on the perimeter, O'Connell's synergy with the first-rounder could help the team survive the loss of a former All-Pro at the season's midpoint.

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UNSUNG HERO

Brock Bowers continues to shine as the Raiders' No. 1 playmaker on the perimeter. The rookie standout is bigger and more physical than the defenders covering him, inviting AOC to target him on 50-50 balls. After snagging at least eight catches for the second straight week, Bowers is becoming the focal point of an offensive gameplan built around the 6-foot-4, 230-pound pass catcher.

OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING

When you turn the ball over, it is hard to win in the NFL. The Raiders found out after losing to the Steelers primarily due to the minus-four deficit in the turnover battle. The costly fumbles and interceptions robbed the offense of scoring chances while flipping the game's momentum to the Steelers. Though the performance has some positives (Bowers and Alexander Mattison), the Raiders need players like Ameer Abdullah and Dylan Laube to take better care of the ball to win competitive contests against playoff contenders.

DEFENSIVELY SPEAKING

Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham effectively contained the Steelers offense but surrendered 183 rushing yards to Najee Harris and Co. The steady drip from Harris and Fields as runners helped the Steelers utilize a ball control offense to dominate the action and dictate the game's flow. Considering the offense's struggles, the Raiders defense must find a way to do more to keep the team in games from producing more "splash plays" (turnovers, sacks and tackles for loss) to increasing the "three-and-outs" each week.

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The locker room prior to the Las Vegas Raiders' arrival for their regular season home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Allegiant Stadium.