Smeltz: Steelers-Raiders: 3 keys to victory

By: Joe Smeltzer
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Hello, all. We are halfway through the 2015 Pittsburgh Steelers campaign, and it's been a rather strange year. Before the season started, it was expected that Pittsburgh's offense would be a powdered keg that would light up scoreboards around the league while the defense would struggle. It has been the opposite, as the defense has greatly overachieved while the offense has been disseminated by injuries. Due in large part to these injuries, the Steelers currently stand at a pedestrian 4-4. To make matters worse, Pittsburgh lost the best running back in the NFL this past Sunday when Le'veon Bell went down with a severe MCL injury. To put into perspective how much injuries and suspensions have affected the Black and Gold, the Steelers will end this season with their four best offensive weapons (Bell, Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Ben Roethlisberger) playing together for a total of half of a game. Needless to say, many fans are rather concerned about the direction the Steelers are headed. This week, the Oakland Raiders will travel to Heinz Field in a game that could have huge AFC playoff implications. If the Steelers still want to sneak into the postseason as a wildcard, I think that this week is a must win for them. Here are three things that are important for the Steelers to do in order to get back on track.

Key #1: Limit Derek Carr 

Derek Carr is developing into one of the better quarterbacks in this league, and his arm is a big reason the Raiders are having success this year. Carr is the one who makes this offense go, and Oakland has yet to win a game in which Carr has thrown for less than 285 yards. The Steelers secondary did a good job of limiting Andy Dalton last Sunday, and it is important that they do the same here. If the Steelers can limit Carr to under 250 yards passing, I think that they have a very realistic chance of winning this game. However, this is much easier said than done, and it will be interesting to see if the Pittsburgh can execute this key. It's a coin flip, but I think that the Steelers defense will be playing with a do-or-die mentality, and this along with the home field advantage and the return of Stephon Tuitt could allow the Steelers to execute this key. It's anyone's guess as to what will happen, however, and it should not come as a surprise if this kid goes off.

Likelihood of execution: Moderate 

Key #2: Ben be Ben 

If the Steelers want to win, they need a bounce back performance from their leader. Ben Roethlisberger's return to the lineup last week did not go as planned, as Ben threw 3 interceptions and looked pretty bad overall. Fortunately for #7, the Raiders secondary ranks just #25th in the league. Even without Bell, Roethlisberger still has Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and the reliable Heath Miller to throw to, so a big passing day is still very much realistic for Big Ben. Expect the Steelers to throw early and often and score more points. Roethlisberger is likely to be still fuming about last week's disappointment, and it is rare for a player like him to have two off games in a row. 

Likelihood of execution: Solid 

Key #3: Play as if there are no other options 

Simply put, the Steelers have to win this game if they want to be a playoff team. If they lose tomorrow, I see them finishing at a very disappointing 7-9 and missing out on the postseason. In other words, the Steelers need to leave everything on the field on Sunday and play like they have to win. Their focus needs to be more intense than it has been all season, as this is the most important game the Steelers have played so far. Ben Roethlisberger knows how to win big games, and as the unquestioned leader of the team, I think that he will successfully motivate his troops.

Likelihood of execution: High

Prediction
I think that the Steelers will win this game because they have no other choice, and they will be more focused than they have been at any other point this season. Oakland has the potential to be a good team, but I do not think they are ready to win an important game like this, especially considering they will be on the road. I predict that Big Ben will outplay Derek Carr as he is more experienced in situations like this. I think that it will be a close game, for the most part, but Pittsburgh will pull away in the end.

Steelers 34, Raiders 20