After an early stumble, the defense closed the door

• Fields didn’t have his best day throwing the football, completing 14 of 24 passes for 145 yards.

In one sequence early in the second quarter, he missed a wide-open George Pickens, then tight end Pat Freiermuth, and then Pickens again, all on throws.

It was just one of those sequences where everything he threw was high.

But he has the right attitude towards such things.

“Everyone has bad shots, no one is perfect,” Fields said. “Don’t let it cross my mind or anything. I’ve missed so many shots in my career. whoever.”

At the same time, the Steelers scored points on seven of 10 drives in this game that didn’t involve taking a knee at the end of the game. Some of these were on short fields set up by the defense and special teams.

But every time you score points on 70 percent of your possessions, you take them.

• Another game, another injury to the offensive line.

This time it was talented rookie center Zach Frazier who suffered an ankle injury when a Raiders defender rolled up the back of his leg on a play.

It remains to be seen how long Frazier will be out, but his loss is just the latest in a long line of injury problems the Steelers have had at the top this season.

Frazier, a second-round draft pick, was perhaps the best rookie offensive lineman in the league this season.

“I love Zach. I feel sorry for him,” said fellow rookie McCormick, who started at both left and right guard due to injuries to Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels. “I don’t know exactly what it is. I know he’s tough and he’ll recover.”

The Steelers could return offensive tackle Dylan Cook in practice this week. He has been on injured reserve since the start of the season due to an ankle injury.

But Daniels is done for the season, as is Nate Herbig. There is a possibility that first-round draft pick Troy Fautanu could return sometime later in the season.