When it comes to the Steelers, everywhere is a home game.
In front of a capacity crowd at Allegiant Stadium, they pulled out a big win over the Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 23-18. With this win, the Steelers improved their record to 2-1.
Coming into the contest, much of the controversy surrounded offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who was the subject of criticism by almost everyone for the better part of the week. His debut in his new role as QB coach and offensive coordinator led to a much better showing by the offense in general.
With this noted, let us review the important thing we learned from this game.
What Did We Learn After Week 3?
Chris Boswell's Importance Cannot Be Understated
As much as we talk about the greatness of T.J. Watt in this game, fans should not ignore the importance of Boswell's contribution. In total, he accounted for 10 of the team's 23 points; if you take his points away, they lose this game. It just so happens that he moved up to second in made field goals in team history. Simply put, this team is fortunate to have him.
Levi Wallace Had A Day To Remember
This can be viewed from both a positive and negative perspective. The negative was having to deal with receiver DeVante Adams, who was a handful for him in this game. It is clear that Wallace is better suited as a zone cornerback and one that plays press like Joey Porter Jr. Yet, when it comes to productivity, Wallace was arguably the most valuable player for the Steelers on this day. He finished the game with six tackles, four pass deflections, and two interceptions, one of which sealed the game for them. Although it never looks pretty, Wallace seems to always get the job done when it counts.
The Offense Got A Little Better
This was easily the best showing on offense for the Steelers this season. For the first time in a long time, the offense looked fluid, as Kenny Pickett was able to get multiple players involved. Their touchdown drive during the later portions of the third quarter was the most efficient offense drive they have had in a very long time. Unfortunately, they hit their usual wall in the latter stages of the game, which needs to change quickly if they want to go places this season.
Steelers Defense Came Through Again
For the second straight week, the Steelers defense registered multiple sacks and interceptions in a game. Frankly speaking, the defensive line on this team is difficult for any team to contain. Remember when the Raiders thought they wouldn't surrender a sack? Well, Jimmy Garoppolo found out quickly why T.J. Watt is the premier pass rusher in the NFL. Although it got ugly in the fourth quarter, when the Raiders offense got going in a big way, they came through in the end.