How the Steelers beat the Raiders on Sunday Night Football: Reaction and analysis
LAS VEGAS — Jimmy Garoppolo had nowhere to go with the football. Receivers Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers were the only Las Vegas Raiders who released into routes downfield, and the Pittsburgh Steelers had them both draped in double coverage.
But Garoppolo had a clean pocket to operate with, so he tried to create something out of nothing. He had enough time to run a play fake to running back Josh Jacobs, look left to Adams, pump fake, look right to Meyers, look back left to Adams and then point for him to turn upfield.
Unbeknownst to Garoppolo, Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt had managed to free himself from tight end Michael Mayer and was making a beeline toward him from the quarterback’s right side. When he looked back to the right toward Meyers, he realized Watt, who’d already sacked him twice on the night, was in his face.
The Raiders trailed 16-7, but it was only second-and-10 with 22 minutes left to play, so throwing the ball away or even taking another sack weren’t disastrous options. Instead, Garoppolo attempted a fadeaway throw to Meyers off his back foot, and the pass sailed straight into the waiting arms of Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson for an interception.
