Stealing From The Steelers

20/34 for 396 total yards, 3 TDs and no INTs. 2-2 on fourth down conversions and yes, those are Raiders stats. We played a helluva game. Offense moved the ball and the defense made key stops. Murphy was huge for us and Gradkowski gets a victory in front of his hometown, giving the Steelers their 4^th loss in a row!

I was pleased with our defense not letting Pitt run over them, holding them to a field goal, a three and out and a 4th and 1 stop, ending the 1st quarter in a 3-3 tie. The second quarter would be a little different. Pittsburgh comes out and scores a touchdown their first drive of the quarter. The Raiders answer back with a field goal ending the half with the Stealers up 10-6. This wasn’t the Stealers playing bad; this was the Raiders playing good. The Stealers weren’t airing out passes for 40 and 50 yards or breaking up the field for 60. The longest pass completed was the 34 yard TD they had. They were held to about 5 yards a rush, negative yardage and no gains. Scott, Kelly and Williams were the reasons for the negative yards while Seymour, Howard and Morrison stopped the run before it could even get started. The team was looking good. The 3rd quarter was a scoreless one but we still played Pitt hard and tough, letting them know that we had no intentions of going down and if we were, it wasn’t going to be easy. Once again the defense was awesome. This time Mitchell, Branch, Shaughnessy; William Joseph and Jay Richardson got in on the action. Scott sacked Roethlisberger on 3rd and 6 and they ended their 3rd quarter drive with a missed field goal. That last defensive drive was the spark we needed. We came out in the 4th ready to put this team to bed!

The crowd at Heinz field was quiet and I was at home clapping my team up, stomping and screaming. Fargas and Miller were productive on the run. I remember thinking to myself what did the Pats start with this going for it on 4^th down, when Cable decided to take a chance on 4^th and 1 in Pitt territory for the second time. I’ll be damn if Gradkowski didn’t get that yard. I’m, screaming “Give us another four”. Gradkowski gets to work, hitting McFadden, Higgins and Schilens for the TD. I loved the way Schilens shook his finger to the crowd. 13-10 Raiders. It seemed liked that started a free for all. The Steelers come out and Roethlisberger hits his receiver for a TD, 17-13 Pitt. Raiders come back and serve Pitts D real nice, airing a 75 yard pass to my favorite gator, Rookie, Louis Murphy for a touchdown. I replayed that catch about four or five times. The move he gave the defender was a good one and then tipped toed the side line for the score, 17-20 Raiders. I’m ready for the defense to come on the field and take care of business. The offense has controlled time of possession the whole game and it was time they finished the defending champs off. Roethlisberger shuts up all my trash talk with a TD to Heinz Ward. NOOOOOO! I couldn’t believe it, however it’s not over until the clock reads 00:00.

Our team had energy. Schilens was hype, Murphy had a mojo and I’m talking major head to the Steelers fans on television (don’t judge me) my sister looks at me and shakes her head as if to say it’s hopeless. I tell her ‘Look, anything is poss...’ Cutting me off she says “yeah, yeah I know. The Raiders scored 2 touchdowns with 65 seconds left to beat the Jets” I told her ‘act like you know something then’ (my family hates when I bring up the Heidi Bowl because I wasn’t even born) we take the field and start moving the ball. After three first downs, a dropped interception by Pitt and a penalty that proved to be costly, Gradkowski put a pass in the air and guess what? It was an open receiver in the back of the end zone and guess who? Louis Murphy. TOUCH. DOWN. OAKLAND! After the extra kick the score is 27-24 Raiders with 9 seconds left. Raiders win.

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JaNaye NC Granberry