Steelers' Kenny Pickett Credits Relentless Crowd Noise In A Packed Allegiant Stadium

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a fan base that travels well; that is simply a fact. Regardless of where the game is being played, the Pittsburgh fans will be there in droves. The 2023 Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders proved to be no different, as the crowd seemed to be heavily on the side of the Steelers. The noise from the masses of visitors had a huge impact on the Sunday Night Football victory, something that was not lost on franchise quarterback, Kenny Pickett.

Steelers Fans Made It Feel Less Like Of An Away Game For Pickett

While all has not been solved in Pittsburgh, a victory certainly takes some of the pressure off the team, even if only for the moment. As the players battled on the field, the Steelers fans were standing and making themselves known throughout the game. When the dust settled on the 23-18 win, it seemed as though chants of 'Here we go, Steelers' still hung in the air.

During the postgame press conferences, Pickett was asked whether it felt like an away game with the amount of Steelers fans in attendance. The smirk he responded with was answer enough, considering that the crowd of 62,541 felt like it was composed of mostly those on Pittsburgh's side. After his grin, Pickett admitted that it truly didn't feel like he was playing away from home, thanks to the influx of Pittsburgh followers watching from the stands.

"Not really, you know, it was awesome. Our fans are unbelievable."

After not having much to cheer about so far in 2023, the Steelers faithful will have something to feel good about for a little while. It isn't a 180-degree turnaround, but it shows some semblance of consistency, and that is something that has been severely lacking so far in 2023. Perhaps this is a sign of more to come.

Steelers Crowd Made Life Difficult For The Raiders

The Sunday Night Football win for the Steelers in Week 3 of 2023 wasn't the first time that the black and gold fans have made an away game feel more like it was taking place in Pittsburgh. It felt a little bit like when Philip Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers saw their home stadium overrun by Steelers fans waving Terrible Towels. It infuriated Rivers then, and on Sunday night against the Raiders, the well-traveled Pittsburgh visitors made themselves known again.

Pickett noticed the difference in the crowd, especially because it began to impact the Raiders on the field. There comes a point during a game when the noise from the fans becomes too much, and a snap count is moot if it has to be heard. The Peyton Manning-led Indianapolis Colts had a home crowd that regularly forced teams to resort to a silent count just to get the offense to function. The Steelers fans weren't even at home, and they managed to have the same kind of impact on the Raiders offense; leading them to use a silent count multiple times.

"It's huge. When the other team has to go silent as well, you know, it's a huge advantage for us. So huge appreciation to our fans, you know, back in Pittsburgh, all over the world. You know, really appreciate you guys."

The young quarterback certainly knows where the credit should go for that kind of disruption, and the Steelers fans know it too. The noise didn't just happen, and the Pittsburgh faithful don't dole it out without reason. The team came together to eke out a challenging victory, and in 2023 that is a feat in itself considering the lack of production on offense over the first two weeks of the 2023 season.

The Steelers are 2-1 following the Week 3 victory, but there are still plenty of questions this team has to answer. The play-calling was still tone-deaf at times, though it seemed as though the talent was able to overcome the bland nature of the offensive mind behind the machine. Whatever the catalyst behind the mild improvements, the Steelers must ensure it continues with an upward trajectory. This team can't afford any missteps, and neither can Matt Canada.

How confident do you feel after the Week 3 win over the Raiders? #SteelerNation