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It's another primetime showcase for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3, as they take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football. This is a matchup of two AFC franchises sitting at 1-1 on the season, although neither should feel great about their starts to the season.
The Steelers are coming off a win over the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football, but it was an ugly victory. Quarterback Kenny Pickett was middling for the second straight week, Pittsburgh couldn't run the ball effectively all night, and the offense needed to be bailed out by the defense and special teams. The Steelers scored 20 of their 26 points on a pick-six, a strip sack and fumble recovery, and two field goals from 50+ yards out from Chris Boswell.
Meanwhile, the Raiders are looking to bounce back after a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. As the game neared its end, star wide receiver Davante Adams took a shot to the head and left the game, casting doubt on his availability for Week 3, although Adams did practice this week and should be good to go. In Week 1, the Raiders extended their winning streak over the Denver Broncos to seven straight games. But a 17-16 win against a team breaking in a new coach is hardly worth getting excited over.
It will be interesting to see which of these teams moves to the right side of .500, and which will find itself in a 1-2 hole. So how will this Steelers-Raiders contest play out? Let's take a look with some bold Steelers Week 3 predictions.
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3. Najee Harris will rush for 100 yards for first time in 2023
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If you told Steelers fans that after two games, Najee Harris had 74 yards on 16 carries, they might spin that optimistically. “Hey, the passing game is clicking so well we don't even have to run the ball!” the thinking might go. Not the case. Year 2 of the Kenny Pickett-led offense has gotten off to a slow start, and it's not clear how much Matt Canada can lean on the passing game to move the chains. In that case, why not devise a game plan that prominently features your first-round running back? Harris hasn't looked great through two games, but James Cook just ran all over this Las Vegas defense to the tune of 123 yards, and in Week 1, Broncos running backs Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine combined for 93 yards on 21 carries. If Harris is going to break out against a run defense, this is as good a week as any.
2. T.J. Watt, Steelers D will bring down Jimmy Garoppolo at least twice
Sure, it might seem like a chip shot to predict T.J. Watt (or someone from the Steelers' defense) to register a sack. But through two games, Las Vegas has protected their big ticket free agent QB. Garoppolo has yet to be sacked in 2023, and that's against two pretty good defenses in Denver and Buffalo. Garoppolo generally plays a smart game, going through his reads and getting the ball out on time. It also doesn't hurt that LT Kolton Miller has turned into a star on the Raiders' line. With Miller protecting Garoppolo's blind side, the QB has been kept clean this season. Well, that ends Sunday night. Expect him to hit the turf at least twice, and at least once at the hands of Watt.
1. Steelers will squeeze by Raiders in one-score game, with Chris Boswell making the difference
At present, these are two middling teams struggling on offense. The Steelers managed a single touchdown in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, and then needed two defensive scores to get past the Browns in Week 2. The Raiders have 27 points combined across two games. Call it a defensive showdown if you want, but really, America is in for some low-ceiling offenses slugging it out. In that case, it feels prudent to side with Pittsburgh and the star power they possess on defense. T.J. Watt and S Minkah Fitzpatrick both have the ability to change a game in the blink of an eye. When it comes down to it, Mike Tomlin over Josh McDaniels isn't a tough call to make. It will come down to the last few drives of the fourth quarter, but the Steelers should escape Las Vegas with a win, courtesy of Boswell.
