Steelers 32-13 Raiders (Oct. 13, 2024) Game Recap

LAS VEGAS – Najee Harris broke free down the left sideline, reached the 5-yard line and dove toward the pylon, just getting the ball across the goal line for a Steelers touchdown.

After coming off a slow start to the season, Harris didn’t let anything get in his way – even if it meant pushing through a bevy of tacklers to make a big gain.

Harris rushed for 106 yards and a 36-yard touchdown to give Pittsburgh a 32-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

“I don’t know what he ate last night, I don’t know what he did, but he definitely threw a ball out today,” Steelers quarterback Justin Fields said.

Harris topped 100 yards rushing for the first time since the end of last season with back-to-back performances like that. He rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons, but averaged 3.3 yards per carry this year.

Harris had a 15-yard run early in the second quarter in which he was nearly stopped at the line of scrimmage but made his way past several tacklers.

“When the drives aren’t going well, you need a play to provide the impetus,” Harris said. “I always try to be the person who inspires the piece.”

Fields added 59 yards on the ground and two touchdowns despite only passing for 145 yards. Fields’ retention in the starting lineup had been called into question following recent subpar performances and the fact that Russell Wilson was called into action for the first time this season after being sidelined with a calf injury.

Pittsburgh (4-2) stopped a two-game slide with its highest-scoring game since a 34-11 win over Cincinnati on Dec. 23. The Steelers ranked 26th in offense with an average of 18.4 points.

Their defense, which gave up 803 yards in losses over the past two weeks, returned to its early form as its first three opponents combined to gain just 687 yards. Pittsburgh held the Raiders (2-4) to 275 yards rushing, and four-time All-Pro TJ Watt forced two fumbles and had two tackles for a loss.

Watt, who had no sacks after entering the game with 4 1/2, said he knew he would have to find other ways to make a difference as the Raiders were determined to keep him away from their quarterback.

“I did punchouts all the way through college at Wisconsin,” Watt said. “It’s something I carry with me and it’s something I continue to try to do. When you have a defense that flies around like that, you can take more chances. I don’t always understand football, but when you have it, it’s great.”

Raiders second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell, starting for the first time in place of the benched Gardner Minshew, opened the game 4 for 4 for 55 yards and led a touchdown drive. But O’Connell failed to build on that, finishing 27 of 40 for 227 yards, and his interception midway through the fourth quarter set up a Pittsburgh TD and a 29-7 lead, much to the delight of thousands of waving Terrible Towel fans made this seem like a Steelers home game.

“It was a great first drive for us to get points and a touchdown,” O’Connell said. “It was huge for momentum, but it takes 60 minutes.”

The Raiders played without their two best receivers – Davante Adams (hamstring) and Jakobi Meyers (ankle) – as well as running back Zamir White (groin). Adams could be traded this season, although coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday that he still views Adams as a Raider.

Pittsburgh let a win slip by a week ago when the Dallas Cowboys scored with 20 seconds left. There would be no such drama this time, thanks largely to the Raiders’ mistakes.

“Winning is our business,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “We weren’t taking care of business, so it’s good to get back to taking care of business. This is a normal situation for us. It has to be that way.”

A fumble gave the Steelers possession deep in Raiders territory late in the second half. A third-down stop by Las Vegas was then negated by a roughing the passer penalty, leading to Fields’ 3-yard touchdown run that gave the Steelers a 12-7 lead.

In the third quarter, a blocked punt set up a Steelers field goal and another rough call led to Harris’ touchdown and a 22-7 lead.

O’Connell’s fourth-quarter interception led to Fields’ second TD run and ended any doubts.

Injuries

Steelers: C Zach Frazier (ankle) left in the third period.

Raiders: G Dylan Parham (foot) was injured in the first half.

Next

Steelers: Host the New York Jets on Sunday night.

Raiders: Visit the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl