PITTSBURGH STEELERS VS. OAKLAND RAIDERS
Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013
O.co Coliseum; 4:05 p.m.; CBS
PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB Terrelle Pryor
He has come a long way since his days at Jeannette High School and when he takes the field vs. his hometown team he will do so with a passer rating of 84.8, which is higher than Robert Griffin III (83.4), Joe Flacco (78.9), Tom Brady (75.3), Carson Palmer (69.5), and Eli Manning (66.5), among others. Pryor is still getting up and down results in his third NFL season. He rushed for 112 yards and threw for 217 in the regular season opener at Indianapolis. He threw three interceptions and was sacked 10 times on Oct. 13 at Kansas City. Pryor leads the Raiders in rushing with 285 yards on 44 attempts (a 6.5 average per carry).
FS Charles Woodson
A former first-round pick of the Raiders in 1998, Woodson has returned after seven seasons in Green Bay. The 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year has one interception though Oakland's first six games, which extends his streak of having at least one interception to 16 consecutive seasons and tying Eugene Robinson and Willie Brown for second all-time in that category behind Darrell Green (19). Woodson has 56 career interceptions (second among active players behind Ed Reed's 61), 13 defensive touchdowns (tied for No. 1 all-time) and 11 interception returns for touchdowns (one behind Rod Woodson's NFL-record 12).
ABOUT THE RAIDERS
OVERVIEW
Only 13 of the 53 players on the Raiders' roster pre-date the hiring of General Manager Reggie McKenzie on Jan. 10, 2012. Of those 13 only PK Sebastian Janikowski has been with the team longer than six seasons. Oakland is 2-1 at home, where it has allowed an average of 16.6 points in three games. One of the Raiders' two wins came against winless Jacksonville. One of Oakland's four losses came at Denver, which had been undefeated prior to last Sunday night.
THE RAIDERS' OFFENSE
Oakland is No. 24 overall (ninth rushing, 32nd passing). WR Denarius Moore has four of the Raiders' seven receiving touchdowns, including a 73-yard score. Oakland is averaging 129.2 yards per game on the ground and holds the ball for an average of 30:46. RB Darren McFadden had 129 yards rushing on Sept. 15 against Jacksonville, and the Raiders improved to 11-2 when McFadden rushes for triple figures. Oakland has won its last seven such decisions. FB Marcel Reece leads active FBs and RBs in average yards per reception (10.7) since 2009.
THE RAIDERS' DEFENSE
Oakland is No. 12 overall (ninth rushing, 16th passing). The longest rush against the Raiders this season is 19 yards (a scramble by Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck), which means Oakland is the only team in the NFL not to have allowed a run of 20 yards or longer. Defensive backs have accounted for six of the Raiders' 16 sacks (CB Tracy Porter 1.5, S Usama Young 1.5, SS Tyvon Branch 1, S Brandian Ross 1, Woodson 1). Opponents are completing 68.3 percent of their passes against the Raiders.
THE RAIDERS' SPECIAL TEAMS
Janikowski is 7-for-11 on field-goal attempts (1-for-3 from 50 yards or longer). Janikowski missed only three attempts (31-for-34) in 2012. Oakland's kickoff coverage is No. 1 in the NFL with a 19.0-yard average. WR Jacoby Ford is first player in franchise history with four kickoff returns for touchdowns. P Marquette King is second in the NFL in gross average (49.5 yards) and sixth in net average (42.0).
