It’s time for some honesty and realism from the Oakland Raiders and the Raider Nation. Are the Raiders as bad as the 35-3 score line suggests against the Steelers? No. Are the Raiders as dominant as they were against the Broncos, Seahawks and Chiefs? Probably not.
This was a set-back but it is not time to right off Tom Cable and the resurgent Raiders just yet.
Before the victory at Mile-High, Oakland was sitting on a 1-4 record and another bleak season loomed. Over the course of the next three games, the snowball started rolling – firstly Oakland posted huge offensive figures against the Broncos, to make everyone think a revival was on the cards.
Then a defensive near shut-out of Seattle had people believing the Raiders were relevant. Finally a gutsy all-around victory at home to their rivals the Chiefs had the Raider Nation believing the sky was the limit. How quickly things had turned around. The Raiders were headed to the Superbowl! How quickly opinions have changed back around again following the defeat in Pittsburgh.
Make no mistake this was an excellent Pittsburgh team. Yes, they were missing a few players, but the Steelers are one of the top 5 teams in the NFL right now. Not only that but they were incredibly motivated to win this game. The loss the previous week to the Patriots had meant a set-back in their race to win the AFC North. The Ravens were circling.
Not only that, but Oakland had managed to come back with a win from Heinz field last year and the memory lived long with the Steelers. Losing was not an option. It was evident how much it meant to the Steelers as they racked up 14 penalties for a franchise-record 163 yards. This was win-at-all-costs football from the home side.
So, the Raiders were facing an elite team, highly motivated and in their own back yard. The Raiders by contrast had lost momentum sat at home during the bye...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
