They were riding high in September, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have, so far, been shot down in October. With apologies to Frank Sinatra, “that’s life” in the National Football League. The Steelers look to shake off a two-game losing streak as they make their way to Vegas this Sunday to take on the rival Raiders.
Jim Wexell writes for 247Sports.com and has covered the Steelers since 1995. He joined WESA "All Things Considered" host Jeremy Scott to talk about the last game and the upcoming one.
Jeremy Scott: I saw a stat after Sunday night's game I had to share with the audience. Since the game went past midnight, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott became the first player in NFL history ever to throw an interception on two separate days, during the same game. Now, let's peel back the curtain on any romanticism our dear audience may have. Is it fair to call night games the bane of any reporter's existence?
Jim Wexell: Yes, it's fair. And it is a bane. I'm still recovering. I wrote until I got home at 3 p.m. and I had to get up for a school that I'm taking a class at. I had to be there at 7 a.m. So, yeah, pretty ugly. Yeah.
Scott: Wide receiver George Pickens' eye black — that's the black stuff football players put under their eyes, for those not familiar with the term — had a message written on it on Sunday night. It said "always [f-word] open." And as of the time we're conducting this interview, the NFL hasn't announced any fines for Pickens, but one figures to be coming his way. Now, when you combine what a distraction he's been with how little he's produced -- he had three catches for 26 yards on Sunday and that's not really much for a guy who was supposedly "always bleeping open." Do you think at this point Pickens sees a second contract in Pittsburgh?
Wexell: I don't think so. No. I don't know if that was the last straw, but I think the explanation for the decrease in the load management that his coaches are exerting over him now, I think that that's the bigger tell. He's not running his routes when he's not getting the ball and when he doesn't think he's getting the ball. And so Mike Tomlin decreased his routes. That's the that's the kind of punishment he'll understand.
Scott: Looking to this Sunday, the Raiders have named Aidan O'Connell their starting quarterback. Under normal circumstances, I'd sit here and gush about the obvious advantage going to the Steelers, but their pass rush right now is just depleted. Opposite T.J. Watt., starting linebacker Alex Highsmith is still out and Highsmith's backup, Nick Herbig, got hurt this past Sunday night. So who is next man up?
Wexell: Well, it's some practice squad guys and Jeremiah Moon, and Jeremiah Moon didn't show much the other night. When the Cowboys were missing Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, Mike Tomlin said they're going to do more blitzing; more complex stuff up the middle. That's what the Steelers have to do. They should have done that on fourth down. "Blitzburgh" needs to make a return. They should have done that on fourth down against the Cowboys. Prescott would have never had enough time to do what he did. They have to get a little more intricate. "Complex" is the wrong word. This stuff isn't that complex, but they have to blitz up the middle. Patrick Queen's a good blitzer. Let's see it.
Scott: The Steelers are 6-11 all-time on the road against the Raiders. But that was back in the Black Hole days of Oakland and Los Angeles that the Steelers lost so much. They actually won in Vegas last year. Does Las Vegas lack the spirit, the home field advantage, that the old gritty Raiders stadiums did?
Wexell: Absolutely. I mean, the Steelers fans took over the stadium last year. I expect it to happen again. I know people who are going there and they're all asking me, "you coming? You coming to the party, you coming to this, you coming to that? There's a lot of people going. Places like Denver, it didn't happen. I mean, you see your Terrible Towels throughout sprinkled throughout. It didn't happen in Oakland. I don't know if it happened in the L.A. Coliseum. I suppose it could have, because that's such a massive, cavernous place where the L.A. Raiders played. But the Oakland Raiders, no. Denver Broncos? No. Those kind of places? No. Atlanta, baseball town, and Las Vegas, a tourist town. Probably more Steelers fans live there than Raiders fans.
Scott: All right, Mr. Popularity. Getting invited to all the parties in Vegas this Sunday. Your prediction for the game?
Wexell: I haven't done my handicapping yet, but I suppose the Steelers will win. This is a tough week. Everybody's getting blasted. I imagine Najee Harris and George Pickens — what would you call guys who give the finger or put the F word on their face? I mean, that's what these boys are. I don't know that Najee Harris got the kind of blowback that George Pickens did, but I suppose they'll have good games. I suppose Justin Fields will rebound from his first bad game, and T.J. Watt should have a decent game. Christian Wilkins is out for the Raiders. I know every week we say one key player is out for the other team. But of course, Davante Adams is out for the Raiders on offense. Christian Wilkins, their run stuffer on defense, is out. I suppose the Steelers will win, something like 20-13.
