The Pittsburgh Steelers have had trouble winning games against teams they should beat. During the 2023 season, they did it three times, so that was the fear when they lost to the Indianapolis Colts and the Dallas Cowboys. That meant heading into the Las Vegas Raiders game, there was worry that this year would mark another series of losses, but they won 32-13.
After the game ended, Raiders fans were outraged by calls that went in Pittsburgh's favor. Out of the 32 points the Steelers put up, some felt that 21 could have gone the other way. Even former Pittsburgh defensive lineman Chris Hoke implied that the Black and Gold got very lucky with the officiating.
The one that received the most criticism was a roughing the passer call. After T.J. Watt punched the ball out and forced a turnover, Justin Fields threw what would have been an interception, but the call on defensive tackle Matthew Butler gave Pittsburgh a first down instead.
On his podcast, Footbahlin, with Ben Roethlisberger, the future Hall of Fame quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, talked about the game. The two-time Super Bowl winner was pleased that the offense could capitalize upon those turnovers this week. He admitted he was initially nervous when the Steelers allowed the Raiders to drive down and score on their opening possession, but was pleased with how it unfolded after that. He said a lot went right through Pittsburgh's effort and a little luck.
"There were obviously some controversial penalties and things that happened in that game that I think was totally beneficial, obviously for the Steelers and detrimental to the Raiders. So you can look at it however you want to look at it, 'Well, they shouldn't have done the penalty,' or whatever. But you know, Justin threw a bad interception that got reversed because of roughing the passer. So you can say, 'Well, you shouldn't rough the passer,' I totally agree. I thought Justin did a great job, it looked like he actually held the guy, pulled him on top of him, smart move. It's a new move now. Anyway, that saved it, and they scored. There was also a third and forever that the Steelers had that they called another roughing the passer on, which I didn't see at all, but again, we'll take them because they always seem to go against us."
This was an unusual spot for the Steelers to be in. They are typically the team that is on the receiving end of bad calls or missed calls. That has been the case numerous times already during the 2024 season. Watt was held on many plays during the Week 4 loss to the Colts. During the Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Watt perfectly timed the snap and strip-sacked Kirk Cousins. The officials incorrectly called it "offsides," and Cousins threw a touchdown pass on the next play. After the game, the officials admitted they made an error. In that same game, a defender nearly ripped the head off of running back Najee Harris, and it wasn't called.
Pittsburgh has been making plenty of errors, particularly on the offensive line. The officials have an obligation for both teams to call games fairly. There will always be human error; however, New York can ensure calls are correct, and they should apply this to officiating, particularly on game-changing calls.
Steelers Had A 12th Man In Vegas
It is no secret that Steelers fans travel well. In previous podcast episodes, Roethlisberger discussed how helpful playing for packed houses away from home was. He mentioned "destination" cities like Dallas, Tampa, and Los Angeles as some of the best.
Steeler Nation brought that same energy to Vegas during Week 6. They filled the stadium, waving Terrible Towels and making conditions difficult for the Raiders. During his weekly press conference, Head Coach Mike Tomlin expressed his gratitude to the fans for showing up in a big way.
