Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Oakland Raiders: Will McFadden Break the Steel Curtain?

Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday November 21st, 2010 1:00 PM EST

Line: Pittsburgh -8

Overview:

The Oakland Raiders started out in pathetic fashion. At 1-3, the optimism was swept away from the locker room. Now, the Raiders are on a three game win streak and have moved to 5-4, which puts them on top of the AFC West.

What is even more impressive is their 3-0 record against division opponents this season. The Raiders have been given new life and the Steelers will be looking to take that life away on Sunday.

The 6-3 Pittsburgh Steelers started out the season with a bang, but have since regressed, losing two of their last three games by double digit margins. The Steelers look out of sorts and have not beaten a team by the give eight point spread since they took out the lowly Browns in week six.

The Steelers aren’t going to sleep on the Raiders, but are they really eight points superior.

Keys to the Game:

The Silver and Black vs. Black and Gold rivalry might not really be renewed, but both teams being competitive gives it new life. These two teams still dislike each other. The Steelers are the most physical team in football and being the proud organization they are, will not want to drop another game at home, especially against the Raiders. On the other side, the Raiders would gain a signature victory by taking out Pittsburgh on the road. It appears as though the team is once again buying into the, “just win baby” motto, and playing for an AFC West title gives them an achievable goal to pursue. The Raiders have a dominant secondary, allowing only 184.8 yards a game. They will need to be focused throughout the entire game when they face Mike Wallace. One minor slip up will spell certain death, as Wallace can flat out fly. He has torched opposing defenses all season long, and in the last two games he has hauled ...

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