The Pittsburgh Steelers are fresh off a surprising win against the Buffalo Bills. Their offensive line struggled, but they will not get a break with Maxx Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders coming to town.
The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off a massive win against the Buffalo Bills. It wasn’t pretty — parts of the game were downright ugly, on offense in particular. However, an outstanding defensive performance helped deliver the victory. Now, an offensive line that was a concern heading into the year and looked bad in Week 1 will welcome the Raiders to Heinz Field in Week 2.
Las Vegas pulled off a shocking win of their own in Week 1 as they toppled the Ravens on Monday Night Football. Defensive end Maxx Crosby was a tour de force, which puts the pressure on the Steelers offensive line to step up and keep him at bay. But then again, perhaps the Pittsburgh defense can attack Derek Carr and company.
This should be another tough game for the Pittsburgh Steelers and, if the team wants to get off to a 2-0 start, these five players must step up for them to beat the Raiders in Week 2.
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger ended Week 1 with no interceptions but he could’ve thrown a couple. A number of throws were just off a defender’s fingertips. He did, however, play better down the stretch and in the second half.
While this is a team sport, the Steelers would’ve lost if not for the efforts of their defense. The offense left way too much on the table and, perhaps with the help of a cleaner pocket, Roethlisberger needs to be better and lead the offense more consistently against the Raiders.
Big Ben was the lowest-graded quarterback in Week 1 according to PFF (subscription required). But the Steelers offense goes as Roethlisberger goes, so he needs to step it up — even if fans don’t agree with him being the worst quarterback last week.