Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 Players who need to play well to beat Raiders in Week 2

2. Kendrick Green, Center

Pittsburgh is baptizing rookie center Kendrick Green by fire, throwing him out there early as the starter in the middle of the line. There were more than a few instances in the win over the Bills when he seemed to lose track of his assignment, once doing so and allowing a rusher to come free on Ben Roethlisberger.

Gus Bradley, the Raiders defensive coordinator will likely be looking to get the young rookie confused early. There were definitely some positive instances in the game from Green as well. However, he has to play smarter or it will be his quarterback that pays the price.

1. Diontae Johnson, Wide Receiver

Diontae Johnson is the Steelers’ best route-runner, bar none. While JuJu Smith-Schuster provides the dirty work and Chase Claypool can flash explosive plays, Johnson is the player Roethlisberger looks for when the team needs a big reception. He’s not the most impressive physical wide receiver on the roster but he’s a playmaker through and through who battles cornerbacks and wins consistently.

But what the Steelers need direly is for Johnson to clean up miscues and drops. For as many great plays as he makes, there are times when it seems as if he has mental lapses that stall drives and plays. He’ll be matched up likely with veteran Casey Heyward in Week 2, who is a technically sound player who can play well against Johnson. The Steelers need their wide receiver to show continual improvement and be a more reliable force in the passing offense.