Raiders battle to the final seconds in road loss to Pittsburgh in Week 9.
Prior to the Oakland Raiders trip to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers, Raiders.com Senior Editor Jerry Knaak posed five questions heading into the game. Here are the answers to those questions as the Steelers came away with a 38-35 win.
1. Will the Raiders continue their mastery of Ben Roethlisberger?
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethliseberger was just 1-4 in his career against the Raiders, and this past Sunday came away with his second win, 38-35. He completed 24 of 44 pass attempts for 334 yards and 2 TDs before leaving the game with a foot injury.
2. Can the Raiders contain Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown?
Well…no. Brown set Steelers records with 17 catches for 284 yards. The only thing he didn't do was get in the end zone. The only other thing he didn't do was successfully return a punt as he fumbled his only attempt. However, he had numerous explosive plays and had the best day for a Steelers pass catcher in the history of the franchise. His 57-yard catch and run set up the game-winning field goal.
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- Will the Steelers be able to run the ball on the Raiders?**
Yes. The Raiders entered the game with the second-best rush defense in the NFL and running back DeAngelo Williams carried the ball 27 times for 170 yards and 2 TDs. His longest run of the day was 53 yards. The Raiders fell from 2nd to 8th in the league in rushing defense.
4. Will the Raiders continue their fast starts?
Yes, although it wasn't quite as sustained as it has been in the past few weeks. After a 4th down stop gave the Raiders the ball, quarterback Derek Carr and Co. needed just three plays to find the end zone on their first possession. However, the Raiders trailed 21-14 at halftime. The Raiders did improve their scoring offense to 26.6 points per game, good for 8th in the NFL.
5. Which offensive player's big statistical game leads to victory?
None. Yes, Derek Carr threw for more than 300 yards, Latavius Murray came close to 100 yards on the ground and a receiver (Michael Crabtree) surpassed 100 yards receiving, it wasn't enough. The offensive output was impressive, put the Steelers was better.
Bonus: Can the Raiders win three in a row? The Raiders haven't won three in a row since 2011 and the Steelers made sure it stayed that way. The Raiders will have a chance to start a new streak this Sunday at home against the Minnesota Vikings.
