Week 6 Game Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers Can’t Afford To Waste The Moment
The Pittsburgh Steelers will go into the Week 6 game against the Las Vegas Raiders on a two-game losing streak. With key Raiders players set to miss Sunday’s game, the Steelers cannot afford to waste the opportunity to get right on the road.
Pittsburgh Steelers Need To Get Right
Week 5 seemed like the perfect setting for the Steelers to put a Week 4 loss in the rearview mirror and get back on track. However, Pittsburgh couldn’t take advantage of the moment in a painful loss to the Dallas Cowboys. In both of the Steelers’ 2024 losses, the opposing team was dealing with injuries that should have given the black and gold the upper hand. While the Steelers also have injuries, it would appear that Mike Tomlin’s team has no excuse for anything other than a victory in Las Vegas.
Defense Can’t Waste Advantage
Not only will the Raiders be starting Aiden O’Connell at quarterback against the Steelers, Gardner Minsher being benched late in a Week 5 loss, but he will be hard-pressed to find many weapons to throw to. Davante Adams was already going to miss the game (hamstring); on Saturday, receiver Jakobi Myers was downgraded to doubtful, and Zamir White is questionable with a groin injury. If White joins Adams and Myers on the sidelines, the Raiders will have a receiving corps with a grand total of 43 career catches.
All the pressure will be on the standout rookie tight end Brock Bowers, especially with Michael Mayer being questionable for Week 6. Bowers has hit the ground running in his first NFL season, leading all tight ends with 313 yards and tied with George Kittle for first in receptions with 28. Tre Tucker has managed 190 yards in 2o24, but the 23-year-old receiver hasn’t shown the ability to carry a passing game in his short career. Tucker has a steep hill to climb on Sunday against a Pittsburgh defense that will be playing with a bruised ego and a ton of pride.
Secondary Must Step Up
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ pass rush will be squarely on the shoulders of TJ Watt, with Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and DeMarvin Leal all out for the game against Las Vegas. While Watt can shift the direction of a game at any given time, doing it all on his own at 30 years old shouldn’t be necessary. Considering that the ability to reach the quarterback has been a strength in Pittsburgh, the tables will be flipped on Sunday, and the secondary will need to step up.
It isn’t like the Pittsburgh Steelers have a group of no-names playing in coverage. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Joey Porter Jr., and Donte Jackson have all had flashes throughout the early part of the season that show how dangerous they can be. However, consistency hasn’t been something the secondary could call a strength in 2024, at least not yet. With the stage set for the defensive backs to have the advantage against the Raiders, it is the perfect chance to build some confidence and allow the secondary stars to get back on track.
Steelers Welcome Players Back
Justin Fields has now started five games for the Steelers, and he certainly hasn’t been the reason for the low points in the last two losses. With the peripheral distraction of the debate between Fields and Russell Wilson settled for at least another week, he can focus on Las Vegas. The best way to help Fields stop the Steelers’ losing streak is to get as many weapons as possible on the field, and Pittsburgh will have two back that will be needed on Sunday.
Roman Wilson should be making his NFL debut in Las Vegas, which is a big plus, with the Steelers’ receiver depth being an obvious weak area of the roster. Fields has protected the football, with only one interception in 2024, but he has been throwing to players who are covered nearly the entire time. Another boost to the offense comes in the form of Jaylen Warren, who will hopefully be healthy for the first time in 2024. Having the complement to Najee Harris return to the backfield and getting a potentially legitimate receiving option on the field should lead to more positive play from the Steelers’ quarterback.
Conclusion and Prediction
Tomlin has coached a Steelers team with at least a three-game losing streak every season since 2018; he can’t let 2024 be the next in that streak. There are growing pains with any new offense, especially with the kind of turnover the Pittsburgh Steelers have brought in and then dealt with during the season. Fields has proven to be an upgrade under center, but that has to start translating into points, not just improved gameplay. If Wilson and Warren end up being the kind of additions that the Steelers are hoping for, Sunday’s road test against the Raiders could be the start of an improved offensive stretch for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Even if the healthy returning players don’t reach expectations, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 schedule leaves no margin for error. A loss against a hobbled Las Vegas squad wouldn’t just be embarrassing and a concerning indictment of Tomlin; it would be another setback in a brutally challenging campaign that doesn’t get any easier.
Pittsburgh Steelers 17 – Las Vegas Raiders 7
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