Derek Carr passed for 357 yards and two touchdowns and the new Las Vegas defense fought in Pittsburgh, where the Raiders (2-0) defeated 26-17 the Steelers (1-1), in Week 2 of the 2021 NFL.
The Raiders now they have two seasons in a row in which they have started 2-0, something the team did not do since they tied three between 1982 and 1984.
It was a rare loss for coach Mike Tomlin, who is now 11-4 in opening games at home. Historically, Pittsburgh is 51-35-3 at home openers.
Since 2006, the Raiders are 6-2 against the Steelers.
Carr was 37 out of 28 (75.7%) and finished with a 126.2 rating. Henry Ruggs was his best wide receiver, with five catches, 113 yards and a touchdown..
Carr’s show
A 41-yard Roethlisberger hit down the right wing off Diontae Johnson left the Steelers at the 5-yard line in Las Vegas, and two plays later JuJu Smith-Schuster scored in a jet-sweep to give Pittsburgh a 7-6 lead in the middle of the second quarter.
An offensive holding against tackle Alex Leatherwood threw back a Bryan Edwards touchdown and the Raiders had to settle for Daniel Carlson’s third field goal of 41 yards to go into halftime with a 9-7 lead.
Las Vegas increased the lead thanks to two good spirals from Carr. He first connected with Henry Ruggs down the middle of the field for a 30-yard gain; then he located in the diagonals the tight end Foster Moreau for a 9-yard touchdown that put the visitors 16-7, five minutes from the end of the third period.
The Steelers offense finally woke up, when “Big Ben” connected with Chase Claypool. a 52-yard throw, and three plays later the quarterback located the rookie Najee Harris, who escaped down the left flank 25 yards to the end zone.
With the extra, Pittsburgh came up 16-14, with 11:15 on the fourth-quarter clock.
The Carr-Ruggs combination gave the Raiders points again when the quarterback threw a 61-yard touchdown bomb through the center of the field that put Las Vegas ahead 23-14.
New black and silver fender
Roethlisberger he was 26 of 39 for 284 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. What’s more, was sacked twice by defensive tackle Solomon Thomas, and hit 10 times, including five by the Maxx Crosby end.
Pushing the quarterback was a priority for the Raiders’ new defensive coordinator, Gus Bradley, and in the first two games of the season they already have five sacks.
Pittsburgh’s running offense was again due, with just 39 yards.
Rookie Najee Harris was his best man in the backfield, with 10 attempts and 38 yards.
In Week 3, the Raiders host the Miami Dolphins (1-1), while Pittsburgh will play at home against the Cincinnati Bengals (1-1).
