All Steelers

Steelers vs Raiders Takeaways: Kenny Pickett Has That Big Ben Factor

The Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves a winner.

Noah Strackbein

In this story:

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers kept their season alive with a comeback in the cold over the Las Vegas Raiders. On the night they honored Franco Harris and the Immaculate Reception, they finished off a last-minute win at Acrisure Stadium, and left plenty of takeaways from the victory.

Kenny Cool

When the game is on the line, Kenny Pickett is someone you can rely on. There needs to be more throughout the game from the rookie, but if the Steelers can look at anything right now and feel great about their starting quarterback, it's his winning ability. 

When Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers needed to find someone to fill huge shoes. But toward the end, what made Big Ben so special was that his ability late in the games never faded. Now, Pittsburgh seems to have that in their new quarterback. 

The Steelers worked all summer to make sure Pickett was capable in these wearing moments. It's paying off big time as they come down to the wire on their playoff hopes. 

Mike Tomlin Loves Living in His Fears

Mike Tomlin loves to talk about not living in his fears, but man, does he love to do it. And against the Raiders, it was a mix of living in fear and making very poor decisions early in the game. 

After Chris Boswell couldn't hit a 43-yard field goal to open the game, Tomlin immediately should have known it wasn't a good day for kicking. You could've probably guessed that watching the rest of the NFL trying to kick in the freezing cold across the country. 

Still, instead of keeping the offense on the field one more play, he sent Boswell back onto the field for a 52-yard try. And it wasn't good. Surprise, surprise. 

Tomlin is a future Hall of Fame head coach, and that shouldn't be argued. In this one, though, it was poor coaching. 

Najee Harris is GOOD... VERY GOOD

The narrative of Najee Harris being bad is gone, right? 

The Steelers' second-year runner put the team on his back late in this game and made sure his team wasn't walking away without a win. Afterward, everyone said he was the spark they needed, and they certainly needed one. 

"Anytime you get Najee in space, it's a pretty big mismatch for a defense," center Mason Cole said. "Some of those checkdowns are great. He gets the ball, turns around and he's one-on-one with the linebacker or safety or corner. It's efficient for us."

The Steelers have young stars, but their best asset is Najee Harris. 

Find great deals on Steelers tickets from SI Tickets HERE

Make sure you bookmark All Steelers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Watch: Steelers Retire Franco Harris Number

Steelers Playoff Hopes Keep Climbing

Steelers Players Honor Franco Harris Before Game

Steelers Rookie Duo Will Shine Against Raiders

4 Things to Watch: Steelers vs Raiders

Steelers Can Officially Create Kenny Pickett, Jordan Addison Reunion

Published
Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.

Home/AllSteelers+