By: Kevin Le

On a short week, the Las Vegas Raiders travel to Pittsburgh and upset the Steelers with a 26-17 victory. With no Josh Jacobs for this game, the Raiders relied on the arm of Derek Carr which paid major dividends. The running game was nonexistent so it took young stars to make winning plays. Once again the defense of the Raiders stepped up in the biggest moments to get pressure on Ben Roethlisberger. The new-look defense under Gus Bradley has been giving quarterbacks fits in the first two weeks of the season. Carr has put the league on notice with his two performances against the Ravens and recently the Steelers. The environment of going to Pittsburgh on a short week did not faze the Raiders. They passed the road test and now get to go home to face the Miami Dolphins next week. 

No JJ, No Problem

Josh Jacobs would be ruled out days before the game and the Raiders had to figure out how to adjust without. Running the ball was not the highlight of the game with the offense only having fifty-two yards rushing. Every run was not making a difference to the offense, but the Raiders still rolled on without Jacobs. The offense stalled in the first half with three field goals but got their rhythm back in the second half. Not having Jacobs would hurt at times, but having Carr healed all. The theme of the last two weeks on offense was about making key adjustments. Carr would throw all of his second-half touchdown passes to Foster Moreau and Henry Ruggs III. Not having Jacobs would make the Raiders one-dimensional in a way that benefitted Carr. Carr had to tap into his 2016 MVP season with big-time throws for a huge win. 

Defensive Consistency

It has been two weeks in a row that the Raiders defense has stepped up and made their presence known. The defense has been exciting to watch with plays from all over the field from young and veteran players. Led by defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, the Raiders had two sacks, seven passes defended, one interception, and ten QB hits. Defensive tackle Solomon Thomas had a coming-out party with two sacks and one tackle for loss. Defensive end Maxx Crosby would have five QB hits that would leave a mark on Roethlisberger all day long. Last season it was the offense that set the tone for the team, but so far it’s been the opposite. Early on this season, the defense has shown major growth and consistencies that were not there a year ago. If this can continue this direction then expect Raider football to continue in January. 

Dude Wheres My Carr?

Derek Carr has been phenomenal in the first two weeks of football and has shown his full potential to the league. Carr has thrown for 817 yards in a two-game span which is the Raiders franchise record. In Sunday’s victory over the Steelers, Carr was 28/37 for three hundred eighty-two yards and two touchdowns. There was a moment where Carr got injured and stayed on the ground for what seemed like an eternity. Luckily for Vegas, he got up and finished the game with hopes of being ready for the Miami Dolphins. It showed his toughness which is never under question when he got hurt and got up on his own power. Carr and Head Coach Jon Gruden are gelling at the perfect time with an urgency for a playoff birth. Raider nation worries about a lot but won’t need to worry about number four this season. 

Road Warriors 

The Raiders had many doubters that believed they could not walk out of Pittsburgh with a big road win. A win like this in a hostile environment like Pittsburgh will do wonders for the trajectory of this team. Las Vegas has shown so far that it has improved their weaknesses from last season that held them back. A road victory is a good start to any season and this one seems to be more important than others. Raiders return home and look to improve to 3-0 this week with a matchup against the Dolphins. Jon Gruden’s squad is one of seven teams in the NFL with an undefeated record through two weeks. If Carr can play and get his partner Josh Jacobs back then the Raiders can easily still be undefeated. With the revamped defense and improving offense, the sky is the limit for the silver and black.