The Pittsburgh Steelers secured a 23-18 victory in their Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football, and it was not just an overpowering performance from the team's defense that led to the win. Kenny Pickett and the rest of the offense played well, with the second-year quarterback having his first game with multiple passing touchdowns and the offense scoring two touchdowns in a game for the first time in the 2023 campaign. While the defense looked good on paper, Mike Tomlin expressed disappointment in the unit.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' TJ Watt against the Las Vegas Raiders
Steelers' Tomlin Shares Disappointment With Defense
The Steelers defense only allowed seven points in the first half of the game against the Raiders, and went into the half having had a takeaway and multiple sacks. The defense held the Raiders to just the seven points for the entire third quarter, however, in the fourth quarter, the Raiders were able to move the ball up and down the field with ease. Tomlin expressed his disappointment with his team's late-game defense in his post game press conference when he was asked if he felt his defense made enough plays. He was even more flustered with the first score of the game.
"We could use a few more. I was really disappointed man with that fourth down-and-1 touchdown. But there's going to be things that disappoint us in play certainly."
The play Tomlin specifically mentions was when the Raiders scored in the middle of the first quarter of the game. They had the ball at the Steelers 32-yard line on fourth down, and the secondary left their star wide receiver, Davante Adams open in the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown on a play the Steelers were hoping to get a turnover on downs.
The play could have really swung the game in favor of Las Vegas had Pickett and the Steelers offense not responded with a 72-yard touchdown of their own shortly after. Despite it being a bad play by the defense, it was the only points they allowed in the first half of the contest.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin coaching in the Week 3 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders
This wasn't the only time the defense had a breakdown in the game, they also looked horrendous late in the matchup when the Steelers were trying to close out the victory. The Raiders were able to move the ball with ease, and had it not been for a bad decision by Raiders coach, Josh McDaniels, to kick a field goal at the Steelers eight-yard line, this game could have very well gone into overtime.
With the Steelers having a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter, they allowed the Las Vegas offense to move the ball down the field deep into their territory twice in the last 10 minutes of the game. One drive resulted in a touchdown with a successful two-point conversion, and the other was the field goal. The defense will need to play better late in games if the Steelers want to win games against higher-quality opponents.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Patrick Peterson celebrates an incompletion in a game against the Las Vegas Raiders
The night wasn't entirely bad for the Steelers defense, as the box score was still crowded with impressive statistics from their star players. They forced Raiders quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, into throwing three interceptions in the game, with one being caught by first-year Steelers cornerback, Patrick Peterson and the other two by Levi Wallace, including one on the Raiders last drive of the game.
TJ Watt added on two more sacks to his already impressive season total, which is now at six. He is currently on pace for 34 sacks in the 2023 season, which would crush the single-season record that he already possesses (with Michael Strahan). In addition to the turnovers and the ability to get Garoppolo to the ground, the defense was also able to relatively contain Raiders running back, Josh Jacobs, holding him to just 62 yards on 17 carries. The run defense was something many were worried about coming into Week 3 after it looked like a huge problem for the team in the first two matchups of the year.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers TJ Watt stares down the Las Vegas Raiders
While there was a lot to be happy about from the defense in the Week 3 victory, it seems Tomlin will choose to focus on the negatives. This a good sign, and shows that he and his coaching staff will take steps to address the weaknesses that were shown by the defense on Sunday Night Football.
What did you think of the defensive performance Steeler Nation? Let us know in the comments below!
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