Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) at Oakland Raiders (0-2)Date: Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012Kickoff: 4:25 p.m., ETSite: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (63,132) • Oakland, Calif.Playing Surface: GrassTV Coverage: CBS (locally KDKA-TV, channel 2)Announcers: Ian Eagle (play-by-play)*Dan Fouts (analyst)Local Radio: Steelers Radio Network WDVE-FM (102.5)/WBGG-AM (970)Announcers: Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play) Tunch Ilkin (analyst) Craig Wolfley (sideline)Spanish Radio: Grupo Imagen - Destrito Federal (Mexico City) *XEDA-FM 90.5
THE COACHES
Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike TomlinOverall regular-season record: 56-26 (.683)/sixth seasonRegular-season record at Pittsburgh: 56-26 (.683)/sixth seasonPlayoff Record/Years: 5-3/four yearsOakland Raiders Head Coach Dennis AllenOverall regular-season record: 0-2 (.000)/first seasonRegular-season record at Oakland: 0-2 (.000)/first seasonPlayoff Record/Years: n/a
SERIES HISTORYSeries History: Series began in 1970Overall: Oakland leads 10-9At Pittsburgh: Tied 5-5At Oakland/Los Angeles:Oakland leads 5-4Neutral Sites: N/ALast Regular-Season Meeting: Nov. 21, 2010 (in Pittsburgh)*Pittsburgh 35, Oakland 3Postseason Series: Series tied 3-3Last Postseason Meeting: Jan. 23, 1983 (in Los Angeles)Los Angeles 38, Pittsburgh 10 (AFC Divisional Game)(postseason record not included in overall series record)This meeting marks the eighth time these two teams have played in the regular season since 2000 and six of those eight matchups have taken place at Heinz Field…the Steelers are looking to win consecutive games in the series for the third time since 1994-97 and the first time since back-to-back victories at Heinz Field in 2003-04…since 1994, Pittsburgh is 6-3 in regular season contests against the Raiders, with four of those victories coming at home…prior to the Steelers blowout victory over Oakland in 2010, the three previous regular season contests between 2004 and 2009 were decided by seven points or less, with Oakland winning two of those three matchups…Sunday's game will mark the third time Head CoachMike Tomlin faces the Raiders during *the regular season in his six years in Pittsburgh and he holds a 1-1 record in those contests.
STEELERS-RAIDERS CONNECTIONSLOCAL CONNECTIONS• Steelers CB DeMarcus Van Dykewas drafted by Oakland in the*third round (81st overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie season with the Raiders before signing with Pittsburgh as a free agent.• Steelers conditioning coordinatorGarrett Giemont worked with the Raiders as a strength and conditioning coach from 1995- 2001 and then was the team's strength and conditioning coordinator for the 2002 season.• RaidersQB Terrelle Pryor is a native of Jeanette, Pa. and a graduate of Jeanette High School. Pryor was the *USA Today *and Parade Player of the Year after his senior season and was one of the most highly sought-after recruits in the history of the state.• RaidersG Lucas Nix is a native of Jefferson Hills, Pa. and a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School. An Army All-American coming out of high school, Nix played his collegiate football at the University of Pittsburgh from 2008-2011.• RaidersCB Shawntae Spencer is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa. and a graduate of Woodland Hills High School, the same one attended by SteelersS Ryan Mundy. Spencer stayed in the area for college, playing for the University of Pittsburgh from 2000-2003. Spencer recorded eight interceptions in his career with the Panthers, returning one of those 68 yards for a touchdown.• RaidersC/G Stefen Wisniewski is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., a graduate of Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School and was an *Army All-American during his prep days.
PRO CONNECTIONS
• Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haleyand Raiders special*teams coordinatorSteve Hoffman were both on the coaching staff for the Dallas Cowboys in 2004. The two also spent the 2009-11 seasons together in Kansas City when Haley was the Chiefs head coach and Hoffman coached the special teams. SteelersTE Leonard Pope was also a member of the Chiefs from 2009-2011.
• Haley also worked with RaidersQB Matt Leinart from 2007-2008 when Haley was the Cardinals offensive coordinator and Leinart was one of Arizona's quarterbacks.• SteelersLB Brandon Johnson and RaidersQB Carson Palmer were teammates on the Cincinnati Bengals from 2008-2010.• Steelers wide receivers coachScottie Montgomery and Raiders G Cooper Carlisle were teammates with the Denver Broncos from 2000-2002.• Steelers tight ends coachJames Daniel held the same position with the Falcons when Raiders offensive quality control coach Justin Griffith was a running back for the Atlanta Falcons in 2003. Raiders strength and conditioning coachAl Miller was also with the Falcons during Daniel's and Griffith's tenures in Atlanta.• Steelers offensive line coachSean Kugler and Raiders linebackers coachJohnny Holland coached together on the Detroit Lions staff from 2003-2005.• SteelersK Shaun Suisham and RaidersLS Jon Condo were teammates with the Dallas Cowboys in 2005. That season, Steelers offensive coordinatorTodd Haley was the Cowboys wide receivers coach.• SteelersQB Byron Leftwich and RaidersOT Khalif Barnes *were teammates with the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2005-2006 seasons.
COLLEGE CONNECTIONS
• Steelers S Troy Polamaluand Raiders QB Carson Palmerwere*teammates at the University of Southern California from 1999-2002. Polamalu and Palmer were also teammates with Raiders QB Matt Leinart at USC from 2001-2002. Steelers running backs coachKirby Wilson was also a member of the Trojans in 2001 as he served as the team's wide receivers coach.• SteelersRB Jonathan Dwyer and RaidersLB Philip Wheeler were teammates at Georgia Tech in 2007.• SteelersDE Cam Heyward andOT Mike Adams were teammates with RaidersQB Terrelle Pryor at Ohio State University from 2008-2010.• SteelersG Ramon Foster and RaidersWR Denarius Moore were teammates at the University of Tennessee for the 2007 and 2008 football seasons.• SteelersCB Curtis Brown and RaidersDE Lamarr Houston were teammates at the University of Texas from 2007-2009.• SteelersFB Will Johnson andS Ryan Mundy were teammates with RaidersFB Owen Schmitt at West Virginia University for the *2007 college football season.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
PITTSBURGH TEAM NOTES • With a win, Pittsburgh will be 10-10 against the Raiders during*the regular season and 5-5 on the road.• Looking for first road win against the Raiders since 1995, when the Steelers won 29-10.• The Steelers look to improve to 335-210-1 against AFC opponents, including the postseason.• Including the 2011 regular season, Pittsburgh's defense is looking to hold it's fourth straight opponent under 100 net yards rushing.• If the Steelers' defense holds the Raiders to under 140 net passing yards, it will be the first time since 2007 (40 yds.,11/5/07 vs. Bal. and 123 yds.,11/11/07 vs Cle.) that the Steelers have held *back-to-back opponents to less than 140 net passing yards (129,9/16/12 vs. NYJ).
PITTSBURGH INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Head Coach Mike Tomlin• With a win, will improve to 57-26 during the regular season.• Has a chance to improve to 43-20 against AFC opponents during*the regular season.• Has a chance to improve record to 14-6 in September regular season games.• With a win, will enter the bye week with a 2-1 record, marking the sixth consecutive season the Steelers have went into the bye week with a winning record. It would also mark the fourth time in Tomlin' six seasons that Pittsburgh entered the bye week with just one loss (2010: 3-1 / 2008: 4-1 / 2007: 4-1).• *Looks to improve to 5-1 in games the week before the bye week.• Looks to improve his regular season road record to 25-17.• With a win will be 2-1 against the Oakland Raiders.
QB Ben Roethlisberger•With a win, will be 82-34 as a starter during the regular season.•Needs one passing touchdown to become the second player in*Steelers' history (Terry Bradshaw, 212) to reach 170 career touchdown passes.• Is one rushing touchdown away from passing Mark Malone (14) for the third most rushing touchdowns by a Steelers' quarterback (Kordell Stewart, 35; Terry Bradshaw, 32).WR Mike Wallace*• If he records at least 100 yards receiving, it will mark the 13th 100-yard game of his career.
• With one more reception of 25 or more yards he will pass WR Plaxico Burress (41) for the second most (Hines Ward, 81) 25 yard receptions by a Steelers' player, dating back to 1991.
TE Heath Miller
• With at least 67 receiving yards, he will become the eighth player in franchise history to reach 4,000 career receiving yards.
• Needs one receiving touchdown to tie Ray Mathews (34) for the seventh-most in franchise history. He is three touchdowns shy of tying Elbie Nickel (37) for the most receiving touchdowns by a Steelers' tight end.
• Six receptions shy of joining Hines Ward (1,000), John Stallworth (537) and Louis Lipps (358) as the only players in franchise history with at least 350 career receptions during the regular
season.
SS Troy Polamalu• Needs one interception to become the ninth Steelers' player to record 30 career interceptions.
• With one fumble return for a touchdown, will tie Jason Gildon (3) for the most fumbles returned for touchdowns in franchise history. • Is one defensive touchdown shy of tieing Carnell Lake, Dwayne Woodruff and Jack Butler (5) for the second-most defensive touchdowns in Steelers history (Rod Woodson, 6).
• Needs one interception return for a touchdown to tie Carnell Lake, Dwayne Woodruff, Deshea Townsend and Tony Campagno (3) for the fourth-most in franchise history.
• Needs eight yards to surpass Chad Scott (368) for the 10th-most interception return yards in a career in Steelers' history.
LB James Harrison• Needs one sack to tie Keith Willis (59.0) for fifth place on the Steelers' all-time list.
LB LaMarr Woodley
• Needs one sack to become the eighth player in team history with 50.0 career sacks. Dating back to 1982, it would mark the fastest a Steelers' player has recorded 50 career sacks during the regular season (73 games).
