Ben Roethlisberger says hit by Raiders' Philip Wheeler was illegal

Ben Roethlisberger's last memory of the replacement referees -- if he can remember it -- will likely be what he considered to be a late hit by Philip Wheeler of the Oakland Raiders.

Wheeler flew into the back of Roethlisberger's legs after Roethlisberger completed a pass to Mike Wallace for a gain of 22 yards, causing the ninth-year veteran to limp somewhat while moving to the line of scrimmage for the next play. He told reporters about the hit Wednesday:

"I felt it. I didn't know what happened. I saw it on film. Technically, it's against the rules; you're on the ground, you go at a guy's legs -- but when's the last time I got a call? You know me, I don't complain about it, I never like to call someone dirty. I don't think it was necessarily dirty, I hope he wasn't trying to hurt me. I think he was trying to get me down but I don't think you have to do it that way."

Wheeler's hit was unpenalized. The Steelers picked up the first down anyway on the third-and-long play, but would have gained 15 extra yards on the drive, which ended up in a touchdown regardless.

Ryan Mundy fined for hit on Darrius Heyward-Bey

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Mundy was fined $21K for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Steelers vs. Raiders: Ryan Mundy fined $21,000 for Darrius Heyward-Bey hit, according to report

According to a tweet from Rich Walsh of WPXI NBC Pittsburgh, Steelers safety Ryan Mundy has been fined $21,000 by the NFL for his hit on Raiders WR Darius Heyward-Bey during Pittsburgh's 34-31 loss to Oakland on Sunday. Some suspected that Mundy would be suspended as a result of the hit, but the fine is the only form of discipline handed out by the league as a result of the play.

Heyward-Bey suffered a concussion and strained neck as a result of the hit, and was knocked unconscious for 10 minutes before being revived and taken to the hospital. Mundy's hit did not draw a penalty flag from the replacement officials working the game. Take a look again:

There's no timetable yet for Heyward-Bey's return. Mundy commented after the game that he did not intentionally lead with his head on the hit, and expressed remorse that he injured Heyward-Bey on the hit.

According to Walsh, Mundy will appeal the fine.

Ben Roethlisberger went to old playbook in Steelers' game against Raiders

Big Ben brought back some old plays in Steelers-Raiders game last weekend.

Steelers' Ryan Clark defends replacement referees

The NFL's replacement refs have been receiving a tremendous amount of criticism, but they found an unexpected defender in Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark on Tuesday. Clark understands that the replacement refs are not trained for the NFL and are not accustomed to working football games with the magnitude and speed of an NFL game; and that there is not much the players can do about it.

"They are doing the best they can ... If the brass is willing to take that chance with the game, all we can do is play."

Clark is in the minority, as most players and members of the media who have spoken out on the replacement referee issue have criticized the league. The replacement referees have come under fire for a number of mistakes, but that fire intensified dramatically following a game-deciding error in Monday night's game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers. In the wake of that controversy, the NFL and referees have resumed negotiations.

Steelers vs. Raiders: Defense explains recent struggles

Following Sunday's disappointing loss to the Oakland Raiders, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense has allowed a combined 31 points in the first half and 30 points in the fourth quarter through three games this season. As if that wasn't enough, head coach Mike Tomlin elected to attempt a late fourth quarter, fourth-down conversion deep in Pittsburgh territory during a tie-game because he didn't trust the defense.

For members of the unit, they understand why their coach would make such a decision. Via Observer-Reporter.com:

"I know when our offense goes out there and puts that many points on the board, they're giving us an opportunity to win the game," said Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley. "It's our responsibility on the defense to go out there and shut teams down, and we didn't do that."

With linebacker James Harrison and safety Troy Polamalu out of the lineup, some have noted that their absence is the reason why the unit is struggling. However, free safety Ryan Clark doesn't think thats the case and believes the defense's issues are arising because players aren't focusing on their jobs and are trying to do too much.

"We've played games without those guys before. It really wasn't anything (Oakland) did. We just tried to do too much. We don't even need to look at the tape to see that."

Harrison and Polamalu are both expected to return to the lineup following the bye week.

For more on the Steelers, please be sure to check out our blog Behind The Steel Curtain and SB Nation Pittsburgh for all the latest news and updates.

Steelers' Larry Foote To Replacement Refs: 'You Should Go Kill Yourselves'

Steelers Vs. Raiders Reaction: Lawrence Timmons' Play Hurt Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a disappointing 34-31 loss in the final moments against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

Mark Kaboly of Steelers Depot feels like the blame should be squarely pointed at Lawrence Timmons for the loss.

According to Kaboly, Timmons made two brutal errors that cost Pittsburgh. The newly-extended linebacker failed to be in his gap on a run play in the first half, leading to a huge Darren McFadden touchdown run that got the Raiders' offense rolling. The second mistake was letting Chris Myers make a third-down conversion to keep the eventual game-winning drive alive.

It's always hard in the NFL to single out one player, but Kaboly makes no bones about his feelings on this particular contest. Timmons was signed to a six-year, $50 million contract last year and to this point hasn't lived up to the contract.

For more on the Steelers, please be sure to check out our blog Behind The Steel Curtain and SB Nation Pittsburgh for all the latest news and updates.

Steelers Vs. Raiders 2012: Ben Roethlisberger Strong Despite Loss

Ben Roethlisberger isn't to blame for the Pittsburgh Steelers' second loss of the season, as the veteran quarterback played a spectacular game against the Oakland Raiders.

Roethlisberger did fine, but with the defense allowing a late comeback, the run game failing to establish much on the ground, and wide receiver Antonio Brown fumbling after a late catch to give the Raiders the ball back. Neal Coolong of Behind the Steel Curtain put him as one of the "winners" in his breakdown of the last-second loss.

As previously written, Roethlisberger was 36-for-49 for 384 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. The game plan was clearly centered around Roethlisberger, and his performance led the Steelers to a third consecutive game where they scored more than they had the previous game.

Also on the good side according to Coolong were two of Roethlisberger's targets, receiver Mike Wallace and tight end Heath Miller, while the list of players with poor performances was filled with defenders.

For more on the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Steelers Injury Report: Troy Polamalu, Rashard Mendenhall Close To Return

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost 34-31 to the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, dropping their record to 1-2 on the season.

No further injuries were sustained by Mike Tomlin's team in the contest. Unfortunately, the game was started without safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker James Harrison.

Harrison is still trying to get back but a balky knee continues to hinder him and keeps his status uncertain going forward.

Polamalu was out for a second consecutive week with a strained calf he suffered against the Denver Broncos in the season opener. With a bye coming up for Pittsburgh, the former All-Pro should be back for the next game in two weeks.

Running back Rashard Mendenhall has been rehabbing a torn ACL that he sustained in the 2011 season finale against the Cleveland Browns. Mendenhall has been getting closer to seeing action and could be ready to go by Week 5.

Linebacker Stevenson Sylvester has an MCL sprain that has kept him out of all three games, but may be ready to return for the next tilt.

For more on the Steelers, please be sure to check out our blog Behind The Steel Curtain and SB Nation Pittsburgh for all the latest news and updates.

Ziggy Hood Injury: Steelers Defensive End Hurts Knee In Loss To Oakland

In the dying moments of Sunday's game vs. the Oakland Raiders, Steelers' defensive tackle Ziggy Hood went down with a knee injury. He limped off the field with help from the trainers and there are currently no updates to his status.

Hood is one of the primary run stoppers on Pittsburgh's defense, as he finished with 31 tackles and 1.5 sacks last season. Should he miss any serious time, his replacement is Al Woods, a fourth round pick out of LSU from the 2010 draft. A four-team journeyman, Woods has 19 tackles and 0.5 sacks in his two seasons.

It was a day of mixed emotions in Oakland, where Raiders fans were filled with jubilation at their first victory of the season, knocking off the lauded Steelers, but there was plenty of concern too when WR Darrius Heyward-Bey suffered a serious injury and was taken to the hospital. Hood also being forced to leave capped off a slate of late games where injuries were all too prevalent.

Stay in this storystream for all your NFL info today. For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, check out Behind the Steel Curtain.

This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.

Steelers Vs. Raiders Final Score: Oakland Upsets Pittsburgh, 34-31

The Oakland Raiders were down by 10 points when the fourth quarter started, and despite losing wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey to a scary head injury in the final period, they came back to beat the PIttsburgh Steelers, 34-31, on a 43-yard field goal as time expired by Sebastian Janikowski.

Ben Roethlisberger was heroic in defeat, commanding the Steeler offense despite a complete lack of a running game, throwing four touchdowns in the first three quarters. He didn't turn the ball over despite throwing 49 times, but the Raiders — led by Carson Palmer, who was throwing darts in the second half — were too much for a depleted Steelers defense that was without Troy Polamalu and James Harrison.

Carson Palmer finished with 233 yards passing and three touchdowns, managing the comeback stupendously, including engineering the Raiders' final drive, putting Janikowski well within range to knock through the winning kick. The Raiders got their first win of the season in dramatic fashion, making rookie head coach Dennis Allen's seat just a little cooler. The Steelers fell to 1-2, and they can't wait to get Polamalu, Harrison and Rashard Mendenhall, especially, back.

Fantasy Stud: Roethlisberger, of course, who finished with a line of 384 yards, four touchdowns and threw in eight rushing yards to go along with it. The cherry on top? No turnovers. Honorable mentions: Carson Palmer (three touchdowns), Darren McFadden (112 yards, one TD), Heath Miller (two TDs) and Mike Wallace (eight receptions, 118 yards, one TD).

Fantasy Dud: Steelers running backs. If you've listened to the guys at SB Nation Fantasy, then you avoided Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer and Chris Rainey. If not, you got no touchdowns, no back with more than 50 total yards, and Dwyer lost a fumble.

Gamblin': The Steelers were four-point favorites going into the game, so they obviously didn't cover.

injuries: The most significant injury of the game was Darrius Heyward-Bey, who took an absolutely vicious hit to the head from safety Ryan Mundy in the end zone. Heyward-Bey was moving his extremities and gave a thumbs-up to the crowd, so the absolute worst fears after an injury like that don't appear to be realized. Still, it was a scary moment, and it would be surprising to see DHB back on the field next week.

What's Next: The Steelers have a bye next week, after which they'll face the Eagles at home. The Raiders will go on the road against their division rival, the Denver Broncos, in Week 4.

For more on the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the Raiders, head over to Silver and Black Pride as well as SB Nation Bay Area.

This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.

Steelers Vs. Raiders: Roethlisberger Throws 3rd, 4th TDs, Pittsburgh Still Leads

Against the Oakland Raiders, Ben Roethlisberger is having his best game of the young season, and he's leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 31-21 lead after three quarters of play. Roethlisberger threw his third touchdown of the game — a beautiful ball to a wide open Mike Wallace — then another to Antonio Brown, who fumbled the ball and recovered in the end zone, to put the Steelers up by double-digits. Roethlisberger is now 32-44 for 334 yards and four touchdowns.

Roethlisberger is doing this all essentially without a running game to speak of. After Jonathan Dwyer lost a fumble in the second quarter, the Steelers have almost completely abandoned the ground game, and have just 39 total rushing yards.

The Raiders got on the board in the third quarter as well, by way of a one-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to Richard Gordon. The Raiders have scored seven points in each quarter, but the Steelers' offense has just been too much for them to keep up with.

For more on the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the Raiders, head over to Silver and Black Pride as well as SB Nation Bay Area.

Steelers Vs. Raiders Halftime Score: Pittsburgh Leads 17-14 At Intermission

Ben Roethlisberger has been absolutely on fire against the Oakland Raiders, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have just a 17-14 lead at halftime. Roethlisberger has connected with 10 different receivers already, including two short touchdowns to tight end Heath Miller, and has looked crisp in the pocket. He's been helped by his much-maligned offensive line, which has given him tons of time to throw.

Roethlisberger was able to lead the Steelers down the field with less than a minute to go before the half and set up a Shaun Suisham for a 33-yard field goal as time expired for the lead. The Steelers likely would have scored more had Jonathan Dwyer not lost a fumble. Roethlisberger is 22-31 for 207 yards and those two scores.

For the Raiders, Darren McFadden, bolstered by a 64-yard touchdown run, has 68 rushing yards on the half. Carson Palmer hit Darrius Heyward-Bey in the end zone late in the second quarter to briefly tie the game, but other than that, the Raiders' offense has been largely contained. They've gained just 105 yards so far in the game, as the Steelers have dominated the ball.

For more on the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the Raiders, head over to Silver and Black Prideas well as SB Nation Bay Area.

Steelers Vs. Raiders: Pittsburgh Leads 14-7 After 1st Quarter

Ben Roethlisberger and Heath Miller have hooked up for two touchdowns to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 14-7 lead in a road game against the Oakland Raiders. Despite giving up a huge touchdown run to Darren McFadden, the Steelers have the lead thanks to Roethlisberger's efficient play.

Big Ben is 11-of-17 for 117 yards to go along with those two touchdowns. He's connected with Mike Wallace three times for 50 yards and has hit seven different receivers. The running game — which has been the team's weakest area thus far with Rashard Mendenhall recovering from a torn ACL — has again been nonexistent, with 14 total yards divvied up between Roethlisberger, Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman and Mike Wallace.

Ryan Clark intercepted Carson Palmer and took the pick back 26 yards, setting up a score, and the Steelers have proven that they can play adequately well without defensive stars Troy Polamalu and James Harrison.

For more on the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the Raiders, head over to Silver and Black Pride as well as SB Nation Bay Area.

NFL Inactive List, Week 3, Steelers Vs. Raiders: James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Rashard Mendenhall Out

The Pittsburgh Steelers will continue to be without many of their playmakers as running back Rashard Mendenhall, linebacker James Harrison and safety Troy Polamalu have all been placed on the team's inactive list for their game against the Oakland Raiders.

As for the Raiders, they have six roster members that will be inactive, including Terrelle Pryor, Lucas Nix and Shawntae Spencer.

Here are the full list of inactive players for both teams.

Pittsburgh Steelers

RB Rashard Mendenhall

LB James Harrison

S Troy Polamalu

LB Stevenson Sylvester

QB Charlie Batch

LB Adrian Robinson

T Mike Adams

Oakland Raiders

T Joe Barksdale

T Khalif Barnes

WR Juron Criner

G Lucas Nix

QB Terrelle Pryor

CB Shawntae Spencer

DT Christo Bilukidi

For more on the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the Raiders, head over to Silver and Black Pride as well as SB Nation Bay Area.

This post was originally published on SB Nation.

Steelers vs. Raiders 2012: Game Preview, Kickoff Time, TV Schedule And More

The Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled off and on against the Oakland Raiders over the last few seasons, but Ben Roethlisberger and the rest of the offense should be more than confident heading into Sunday's game. The Raiders are 0-2 after dropping games to the San Diego Chargers (Week 1) and Miami Dolphins (last week). While the former is understandable, many thought they'd roll right through the latter, but it was Reggie Bush who did the rolling through Oakland in that one.

With a significantly understaffed secondary and an offense that's currently going through an identity crisis, the Steelers have a solid opportunity to improve to 2-1 on the season. Roethlisberger is coming off a 275-yard performance in which he also threw a couple of touchdown strikes (to wide receiver Mike Wallace and tight end Heath Miller).

The defense should be riding high after totally shutting down the New York Jets, especially when it came to third down, allowing just four of 12 to be converted. That's an area where Oakland has struggled in the past. Darren McFadden hasn't looked at home in Dennis Allen's zone blocking scheme, and if he doesn't get things going (and rushes for sub-30 yards again), Oakland will be in for a long day.

Game Date/Time: Sunday, Sept. 23, 4:25 p.m. ET

Location: O.co Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.

TV: CBS

TV Coverage Maps: The506.com

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, head on over to Behind The Steel Curtain, and don't forget to get up to date on all the news and analysis from around the league at SB Nation's main NFL hub.

NFL Schedule And TV Times, Week 3: Steelers Vs. Raiders, Patriots Vs. Ravens, And More

Here's a look at the NFL schedule for Week 3. The Steelers, of course, will take on the Raiders at 4:25 Sunday afternoon (CBS). And the Giants already defeated the Panthers, 36-7.

At 1:00 Sunday, the Bills play the Browns, the Jets take on the Dolphins, the Chiefs play the Saints, the Bengals play the Redskins, and the Jaguars take on the Colts, all on CBS. On FOX, meanwhile, the Rams take on the Bears, the Bucs play the Cowboys, the 49ers get the Vikings, and the Lions play the Titans.

At 4:05 on FOX, the Eagles visit the Cardinals, and the Falcons face the Chargers. In addition to the Steelers and Raiders, the 4:25 schedule on CBS also features the Texans and Broncos.

The Patriots visit the Ravens at 8:20 (NBC) in a matchup Steelers fans will surely watch closely. Then, on Monday, it's the Packers and Seahawks (8:30, ESPN).

For more on all of Sunday's NFL matchups, please check out SB Nation's NFL hub page.

James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Rashard Mendenhall Ruled Out For Raiders Matchup

Pittsburgh Steelers James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, and Rashard Mendenhall have all been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders, according to Mark Kaboly.

Harrison is still recovering from knee surgery, and has yet to see any action in 2012. The Steelers do not know when he will be back.

Polamalu played in Week 1, and injured his calf. After sitting out last week, he has still not returned to practice.

Even without two key defensive players, the Steelers managed to shut down the Jets last weekend. They held quarterback Mark Sanchez to just 10 completions and 138 yards.

The Steelers will also be without running back Rashard Mendenhall for the third straight week. Mendenhall was a full participant in practice this week, but the Steelers are being cautious with his return.

The Steelers may not consider the Raiders to be too much of a threat, and with a Week 4 bye, they may just be getting their players extra rest.

This story was originally published on SBNation.com

Steelers Vs. Raiders: Ben Roethlisberger Wants To Use No-Huddle Offense

Ben Roethlisberger likes being in charge of the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense, a trait which has him somewhat at odds with the team's regular play-caller offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

Haley turned the reins of the offense over to his quarterback, allowing Roethlisberger to run a no-huddle offense for the final three quarters of the team's season-opening loss to the Denver Broncos. But in the team's win against the New York Jets, Haley insisted on calling all of the shots, Roethlisberger said he wasn't exactly thrilled with the development, as reported by Alan Robinson in the Tribune-Review:

"That’s Coach Haley’s call. He’s the one that calls all of the plays. There was no no-huddle. Our no-huddle is usually when we have three wide receivers on the field. (The coaches) saw something and wanted to run the ball with multiple tight ends and keep (the media) and the fans happy, I guess."

Although Roethlisberger has showed how comfortable he is in the no-huddle over his career, the results this year are obviously with Haley: the offense put up 27 points against New York while Roethlisberger couldn't lead his team to the victory over Denver.

For more on the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Week 3 NFL Picks And Predictions: Steelers Vs. Raiders

Many NFL pundits believe the Pittsburgh Steelers should take care of the Oakland Raiders in Week 3 play on Sunday.

Video: Will Allen Previews Steelers' Bumblebee Uniforms

Steelers Vs. Raiders: Troy Polamalu Misses Practice

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu did not participate in practice on Thursday due to an injured calf. This is now the fifth consecutive practice that he has missed.

Polamalu sustained the injury during the team's Week 1 meeting with the Denver Broncos, and was forced to miss Week 2's home opener against the New York Jets. According to initial reports, Polamalu is not expected to play on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, either.

If Polamalu is unable to play, Ryan Mundy is expected to take Polamalu's place in the secondary. Mundy finished Sunday's game against the Jets with four tackles and one assist, which was the third-most on the team.

For more on the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the Raiders, head over to Silver and Black Pride as well as SB Nation Bay Area. Also be sure to check out SB Nation's football hub.

Steelers Vs. Raiders: Ben Roethlisberger Doesn't Remember Oakland Fondly

Its been six years since Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers took a trip to Oakland, and what little Roethlisberger remembers of the trip wasn't fun.

Roethlisberger had a bad day in the stadium nicknamed the Black Hole as the Steelers lost, 20-13. He told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he remembers it poorly:

I remember throwing like six or seven picks and it being a crazy, hostile place. That's about it. And losing the game.

Roethlisberger might have had a hard time figuring out which team to throw to that game, but it wasn't quite that bad -- he only tossed four picks, although two were returned for touchdowns, providing the Raiders with the majority of their offense on the day. He was also sacked five times. As Ed Bouchette writes in that article, Roethlisberger may have been feeling the effects of a concussion the previous week that probably would see him sidelined in today's NFL.

Roethlisberger has only thrown one pick against four touchdowns thus far this season and is facing a Raiders team that allowed 35 points in their last outing, so its likely this performance will be better than his last against Oakland.

For more on the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh.

NFL Picks Week 3: Steelers Vs. Raiders

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a convincing victory over the New York Jets while the Oakland Raiders haven't convinced anybody they aren't the typical Raiders, so it's no surprise the vast majority of pickers are siding with the Steelers in Sunday's matchup.

Even without Troy Polamalu and James Harrison, the Steelers are expected to roll against a team that didn't register more than 14 points in either of its first two games this season. Adam Schefter is the only one of ESPN's 10 picking the game to side with the Raiders. Whatever Schefter's reason for going against the grain, he's been right in past and has the second-best record of any picker through two weeks.

The Steelers ran a clean sweep of picks at Yahoo and CBS, in addition to USA Today, where Simon Samano called the game his "lock" of the week. That said, Samano has managed to guess incorrectly in both of his previous "locks," so perhaps that that's not the best indicator this game is a sure thing.

The Steelers also got the nod from ESPN and CBS's score-predicting algorithms and the pick'em pools at both Yahoo! and CBS.

For more on the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out SB Nation Pittsburgh.

NFL Odds Week 3: Steelers Vs. Raiders

The Pittsburgh Steelers come into Sunday's game with the Oakland Raiders as favorites on the road.

Steelers Injury Report: WRs Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders Miss Wednesday Practice

It's already been reported that Troy Polamalu and James Harrison are unlikely to play against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, so it was no surprise they didn't practice on Wednesday. But in addition to being without those key players on defense, wide receivers Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders were also sidelined.

Here's some analysis from Behind the Steel Curtain:

With it being early in the week, it isn't particularly troublesome, but these names appearing on the same report tomorrow would be more of a concern.

The wide receivers, Wallace and Sanders, would present the biggest problem. There are only four receivers on the roster (Antonio Brown and Jerricho Cotchery practiced, fortunately), and further absence from either one of them could alter the offense the Steelers have run most frequently this season (3WR, 1RB, 1TE).

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the Raiders, there's Silver And Black Pride.

Steelers Vs. Raiders: Oakland Cornerbacks Struggling While DeMarcus Van Dyke Plays In Pittsburgh

Steelers Vs. Raiders: Pittsburgh Can't Overlook Oakland

The Oakland Raiders come into Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, 0-2, but the Raiders will look to play the role of bad hosts at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum as they try and steal a victory from the Steelers. The most dangerous team in sports is one with nothing to lose and the Steelers would be wise in avoiding looking past the lowly Raiders, the Trib writes:

Twice in the past six years, Steelers teams coming off Super Bowl victories were tripped up by terrible Raiders teams, perhaps a forewarning as the Steelers (1-1) prepare for the only game in the first half of the season in which they will be heavily favored to win.

During their last visit to the so-called Black Hole in 2006, Ben Roethlisberger threw four interceptions only a week after receiving a concussion in Atlanta. The Raiders returned two for touchdowns, including a 100-yarder by Chris Carr, and upset the Steelers 20-13 - the last time that 2-14 team won all season.

Despite having a new head coach in Dennis Allen, another poor start to their season and not finishing with a record above .500 in a decade, the Raiders still pose a credible threat to the Steelers, especially on the road.

It also looks like the Steelers will be without two of their major defensive cogs in safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker, James Harrison. Neither player was able to practice on Tuesday and Tomlin doesn't feel very optimistic that the two will be able to go on Sunday.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain and continue to check out Nation Pittsburgh.

2012 NFL Schedule Week 3: Steelers Head Across Country To Take On Raiders

Fresh from their first victory of the 2012 season over the New York Jets, the Pittsburgh Steelers will fly cross-country in Week 3 to take on the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum on Sunday.

Expecting to be without both safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker James Harrison, the Steelers will have a showdown with the 0-2 Raiders, who lost 35-13 to the Miami Dolphins in Week 2.

Without Polamalu and Harrison, the Steelers were able to keep the Jets in check and have a bye week in Week 4.

Other key games from around the AFC North to keep an eye on:

Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots, Sept. 23, 8:20 p.m.

The week's marquee matchup is also its Sunday night showdown as the pair of 1-1 teams square off in primetime.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Washington Redskins, Sept. 23, 1 p.m.

Cincinnati's defense will be tested against Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills, Sept. 23, 1 p.m.

The Browns are the AFC North division's only 0-2 squad, and will look to get their first win at home against the Bills to keep up with the rest of the division.

For more Pittsburgh Steeler coverage, check out Behind the Steel Curtain.

Steelers Vs. Raiders: James Harrison, Troy Polamalu Likely Out Again

James Harrison and Troy Polamalu will be out for a second consecutive week for the Pittsburgh Steelers in this Sunday's matchup against the Oakland Raiders, leaving the Steelers' defense without a pair of 2011 Pro Bowlers.