5 bold predictions for Raiders against Steelers
By John Buhler
4. The Raiders front-seven will have four or more sacks of Ben Roethlisberger
One of the better part of the game for the Raiders was their ability to get after the quarterback. While Lamar Jackson is every bit as elusive as he was at Louisville, the Raiders’ front-seven was able to bring him to the turf three times and get seven hits on him. While Roethlisberger could move a bit too in his prime, Las Vegas has a chance to sack him four or more times on Sunday.
Maxx Crosby continues to be an impressive playmaker in the trenches for the Silver and Black, as he had two sacks of Jackson and registered four quarterback hits on the former Heisman Trophy winner. Carl Nassib had the incredibly clutch sack of Jackson in overtime, so he could have a big game for the Raiders on Sunday. And we have not even got the best out of Yannick Ngakoue yet…
Once Ngakoue gets further acclimated in the Raiders defense, this front-seven has the potential to be special, regardless of what the long-term future for Clelin Ferrell is in Las Vegas. Even if this game vs. the Steelers is on the road, they have a considerably less mobile quarterback than Jackson and an offense that has yet to firmly establish the run in years. They will throw it a ton.
If the Raiders can get similar pressure on Roethlisberger as they did on Jackson, it would be huge.