ON TO PITTSBURGH! LV@Pitt GDT! (early I know)

[BayRaider]

Yannick expected to play, heck yeah!

[oakdb36]

Marquel Lee signed to the 53. Ragas and Cotton activated for week 2. Mariota to IR.

[Bitty 2.0]

I was wondering if the referees gonna be super pro Raiders after the whole trying to kill Renfrew after the whistle thing. The NFL had to of said something to the refs.

[opeth0500]

2 hours ago, Jerry said:

I haven't had internet on deployment the last 3-4 days.  Don't know if anyone posted this already.  Trying to enjoy my internet while I can.

I’m surprised they are televising the game here in SoCal since the Rams are playing at the same time. Raiders are going to kill them in ratings. 

[drfrey13]

1 hour ago, opeth0500 said:

I’m surprised they are televising the game here in SoCal since the Rams are playing at the same time. Raiders are going to kill them in ratings. 

That would be amazing.  I work with a bunch of Rams fans that think they control this area.  They point to a study showing were fans buy tickets to games.  The Rams play in LA so of course you are going to have more Rams tickets purchased in southern California.

[Steeler Hitman]

22 hours ago, Mr Raider said:

And also I wanted to say, fantastic posts and discussion by you all the way around throughout this thread. 

I love hearing from fans of other teams about how they view their teams strengths and weaknesses, what they saw in past games, how they would attack their team and how they see it playing out if the other team is going to pull off the win. Obviously we all have some bias, but I love discussing with other fans that can acknowledge that their team (like every team) isn't perfect and has areas they are great at and areas with more questions. 

It helps me learn more about a sport I love about other teams I don't see every single game of like the Raiders, and it gives me certain things to pay extra attention to come game time. Makes the game day thread even more fun looking forward to the game and makes it a tool to learn about other teams and our own instead of just two groups of full blown homers acting like it's impossible that their team could lose this game. 

A tip of the hat to you sir. I've given some footballs to your posts in this thread but I wanted to commend you on some great and insightful posts that have helped me learn more about another NFL franchise. Very good stuff. 

I greatly appreciate the discussion and insight provided to me by you and the rest of Raider Nation in this thread. You are all a very classy, well informed, and fun group. Thank you for responding and allowing me to discuss the game with you.

23 hours ago, Mr Raider said:

I would say we are in agreement in almost every aspect. 

I will admit and defer to what your eyes saw in terms of the Bills success running the football last week. I did have the game on as it was the game airing in my neck of the woods, but I had just got back from a weekend trip and was only paying 50% attention for large chunks of the game because I was wore out and hanging out with the kids and such. My comment about the Bills having some success, was mainly based around a few decent runs I saw when I was paying attention, some box score scouting, and my belief that the Bills biggest weakness currently is a lack of a dependable running game that isn't Josh Allen creating with his legs. So all of that combined and the box score scouting seeing the overall production for a team that I think is worse on paper in the rushing department to thinking they had an ok level of success. I absolutely can buy that a lot of that came against the nickel and less aggressive looks when the Steelers were content giving up some in the running game to keep the big plays from happening allowing the Bills to get back in the game, and to allow the clock to keep rolling. Very fair point and observation.

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Though I still maintain that the Raiders at full strength would be much better equipped than the Bills to create some big running plays and consistently stay in front of the chains. 

I agree  with you 100%.  I think healthy that the Raiders definitely have the better overall OL and RB. No doubt. The Bills have just matched up very well with our starters on both sides of the ball and made it difficult. 

However with Jacobs being out officially now I am much less confident. I do believe that Drake is talented enough and skilled enough to be the lead back and have success on the ground, but him only being in his 2nd game with the team, playing behind an OL that is suffering really bad from injuries and any semblance of chemistry together and certainly no chemistry between Drake and the OL, and consistency on the OL with both preseason starting guards being down, Leatherwood starting only his second game at RT and James starting the same at center, that sounds like a large amount of questions and disadvantages and I'm not sure all of that together can be overcome at this point. If we were playing a bad defense or even an average one? Perhaps. But the Steelers especially in the front 7 are insanely talented, very well coached, disciplined, and a proven high caliber offense. 

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When I said I thought the Bills had some success, even when saying that I mostly meant they didn't seem to do HORRIBLE, all things considered, and on paper there was enough success there to suggest that our running game could do enough to just keep us in 3rd and short situations and be good enough to keep the defense guessing and off balance when it comes to run or pass. I didn't expect our run game to dominate or anything against such a fierce defense. 

I am not claiming to be an expert, just offered a different opinion on how I saw it. Some in my group would agree with you, but I think that the Steelers scheme was definitely not to let Josh Allen get connecting with Diggs, Sanders, Beasley, and Davis consistently. I don't think that they believed that Buffalo could win stuffing the ball down the defenses throats. I think the Raiders can however. It may be harder, but I think the team that runs the ball better/effectively will probably win.

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Now you have all those injuries on the OL, a group that is going to have virtually zero familiarity and chemistry with one another, now without our pro bowl caliber RB that has a tremendous nose for the end zone and can convert those 3rd and short situations at a high level being replaced by one of the better #2 RBs in the game but still will be playing behind this group on the OL that is going to have their hands full just in terms of the talent on the Pittsburgh front that he has no chemistry or experience working with? That is absolutely a huge blow for our offense and our chances of grinding out a tough win on the road against one of the best defenses in the business.

 I agree it won't be easy. The Steelers have to try to take advantage of this. 

It's honestly such a big blow that I think it's likely going to force us to be closer to that 40 passing attempts that I think plays directly into the Steelers hands and opens up a much higher chance of some key mistakes/turnovers by the Raiders, and we are not a good enough team currently to beat a team like the Steelers on the road if we are giving up sacks and lose the turnover battle. 

I would say with all the injuries on the OL, the unfamiliarity on the line and with Drake it's likely going to be too much to overcome with Jacobs being unavailable. With that information coming to light my gut prediction now says Steelers 24, Raiders 17. 

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And lastly I will touch on the subject of Big Ben and my comments about him looking like a shell of his former self. First, I would say that comment was probably too harsh for what I have actually saw and what I actually meant. I do believe there is some credibility to what you are saying about last week being in large part being week 1, against a really tough defense, in a grind it out type of game, and the game plan not being one where Ben was going to be asked to sling it all over the yard and try and win a high scoring shoot out. I can absolutely buy that. I think in general a lot of people have been too overly critical of Ben based off of last year and week 1 this season. I do believe that there is some clear decline. A few years ago Ben was one of the best QBs in the league, had become underrated, and was one of the QBs I would least like to face in a big game just because of his ridiculous level of experience playing in big games, his ability to make a few really clutch throws, his toughness, his ability to buy time and take a pounding and still make the throws needed, his ability to be incredibly difficult to bring down without a group effort, etc. 

I have made the analogy to what the Broncos did with Peyton when they won the SB (Great defense, solid rushing attack, and an efficient QB).  I do think Ben is in better shape physically than Peyton was. However, Peyton was one of the smartest QB's to ever play the game.  Ben can still have a little gun slinger in him. AT 38, his game and physical strength is not like at 25.

I do think there has been some clear decline there after the past year or two. And that's to be expected. Ben has been around a long time, he's played a lot of tough, big games, taken a lot of hits. Father time is undefeated after all. But I don't believe that he has suddenly become a liability or has a negative impact on the team. He's still a very solid QB. And a lot of his biggest flaws and weaknesses that come along with being almost 40 and all the wear and tear are things that show up enough to really impact the Steelers much later in the season. I think all the hits and his age was a factor last season the last quarter of the season or so where the grind of a full season (and last year coming off the injury to boot) catches up to most players but particularly the really old guys still in the league. 

So while my belief in all of that is something I factored in when considering the Steelers outlook overall this season (I believe I had them finishing 9-8 or 10-7) it's not so written in stone and clear that he is ready to fall off a cliff that I would enter a week 2 game on his home field and say he's no longer the guy that is capable of lighting you up and engineering a very successful offensive game.

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Although I will say that Ben, even in his absolute prime has never been a guy that is among the elite in totally limiting turnovers.

It's just kind of the nature of his skill set, all the positive aspects of his game and whatnot. 

Truth there from you. I have seen some maturity from Ben the past two years that I wish I would have seen five or six years ago (truthfully 12 or 13 years ago). I till think Ben can rip a team apart, but he can't put the team on his back every week as he was capable of doing n the past. He needs help.

My one thing I will say that made me a little hesitant to say he would be even as good as he was for stretches last season or 3 years ago before the injury, is there are just a ton of questions about the Steelers offensive line. It's a unit that for large parts of Ben's career has been a weaker area of the team, and while Ben was able to overcome it to a pretty high degree of success, I just don't think at his age his body can take those same type of hits and that type of pounding and grit his way through a subpar offensive line to still win a ton of games and have a lot of success. I think in the long term it's obviously the right approach.

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The OL was in need of an overhaul. I don't think losing Pouncey, Decastro, Villanueva long term is devastating. Those guys weren't what they once were, they weren't still playing at the level their name recognition gets them with their reputations.

I think they were getting up there in age and being worn down.  They were also more shield the defenders than road graders. Very solid in pass protection, but  limited in run blocking and especially with a Lev Bell type back in his prime. 

Long term the OL needed an overhaul and needed to be rebuilt, and I think the approach of getting some young guys in there for reps and to gain chemistry together can be extremely beneficial in the coming seasons whether for Ben for one more year or whoever they deem as the heir to his thrown in Pittsburgh. But for this season? It's just tough to rely on so much youth, inexperience, lack of familiarity playing together as a unit (I am of the belief good OL play is often one or two really good players and 3 other above average guys but their ability to play together and know what the others will do in every situation is what leads to strong OL play), and win consistently. Especially when that OL is protecting a QB that is 39 and has a very extensive injury history, even if he often has been able to fight through them and play, and play well even. It's just something where I think both aspects of Ben not being what he once was and an OL with a bunch of question marks can kind of combine to not get the best play either unit/player could be capable of with a more defined, reliable level of play from the other. 

Great points and I enjoyed reading your posts. I think that Ben has more in the tank than he is given credit. This season will reveal itself. I predicted the Steelers will go 12-5 and make the playoffs if all goes according to plan. Again, thanks to your group for sharing some views with me. Greatly appreciated and enjoyed reading your thoughts and others. 

[opeth0500]

1 hour ago, drfrey13 said:

That would be amazing.  I work with a bunch of Rams fans that think they control this area.  They point to a study showing were fans buy tickets to games.  The Rams play in LA so of course you are going to have more Rams tickets purchased in southern California.

Yea that’s not a good argument lol. You can do the eye test in SoCal and see that the majority is raiders fans. Plus people buying “rams tickets” can be purchasing to see the opponent. 

[drfrey13]

1 hour ago, opeth0500 said:

Yea that’s not a good argument lol. You can do the eye test in SoCal and see that the majority is raiders fans. Plus people buying “rams tickets” can be purchasing to see the opponent. 

I heard from some people at the game that week 1 was 50% Bears fans.

[BayRaider]

Raiders ML +225 or so. I’m going for it. 

[Jeremy408]

6 hours ago, oakdb36 said:

Marquel Lee signed to the 53. Ragas and Cotton activated for week 2. Mariota to IR.

I’m always liked cotton. I hope he makes the most of his opportunity if he gets it.

[opeth0500]

2 hours ago, drfrey13 said:

I heard from some people at the game that week 1 was 50% Bears fans.

Doesn’t surprise me. The chargers play the cowboys this weekend, I expect that to be at least 70-30 cowboys. 

[Jerry]

This game is happening at 2am where I'm currently at (deployed).  I'm about to head to bed right now (5:30pm) so I can wake up in time for the game.  Man I hope they have it on TV.

[agarcia34]

Game day! 

[Bitty 2.0]

I know the Raiders aren't the best team in the NFL but damn we're entertaining to watch. 

[RaidersAreOne]