After failing to take advantage of a very winnable game against the San Diego Chargers in Week 1, the Raiders had a defensive debacle against a rebuilding Miami Dolphins offense that scored 35 points against the silver and black.
They shut down an anemic, Ryan Matthews-less Chargers running game, but the Raiders let Reggie Bush run all over them for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns one week later.
In Week 3, Oakland will face the always-dangerous Pittsburgh Steelers in a critical matchup that could make or break the Raiders' season. Yes, even in Week 3.
Oakland faces some great running backs as the season unwinds including Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew, Jamal Charles, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and the up-and-coming Trent Richardson.
Luckily for the Raiders, they have the eighth-best passing defense in the league. They held Philip Rivers to only 226 yards, and must keep Ben Roethlisberger in check if they want to get their first win of the season against the Steelers.
The Raiders' pass defense has been the bright spot so far, and must play even better in order to prevent the Steelers from taking one away in Oakland.
Prevent the Big Pass
Oakland did a solid job shutting down Philip Rivers on Monday night in Week 1. Rivers only threw for 226 yards, but 46 of them came on a deep bomb to Robert Meachem. Without that big play, the Raiders would have held San Diego to a mere 180 yards through the air.
The deep pass to Meachem helped the Chargers extend the field and put points on the board when the Raiders had momentum on their side.
The Steelers feature a couple of home run-hitting receivers in Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown. Last time Oakland faced Pittsburgh, Wallace had 116 yards and...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
