Steelers vs. Raiders: Can Carson Palmer Exploit Weakened Pittsburgh D?

September 22, 2012   ·   Erik Cotton   ·   Jump to comments

The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Oakland this weekend to face the Raiders on the 40th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception.  Troy Polamalu and James Harrison are both out for the Steelers.  Does that mean that Carson Palmer will be able to exploit a banged-up Pittsburgh defense?
Not exactly. 
The only hope the Raiders have to stay in this game is to run the ball effectively.  For a team that's been among the league leaders in doing just that over the last couple years, 2012 hasn't seen the same results.
Oakland is currently 31st in the NFL in rushing yards per game, and dead last in yards per carry.  Darren McFadden has 54 yards on 26 carries with zero touchdowns.
No QB is going to be as successful as he'd like to be when he has that much pressure on his shoulders.  Palmer knows McFadden is their best player on offense.  He's had to have gotten discouraged by his underwhelming performances through the first two weeks....

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