It is beginning to look like this year’s Las Vegas Raiders are real after they away with another impressive victory, this time against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Raiders were on a short week after playing on Monday Night Football and were without Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs, yet were able to carve up a Steelers defense that was missing several key pieces. Derek Carr caught fire throwing the football, completing 28 of 37 passing attempts for 382 yards and two touchdowns, with the highlight coming from Henry Ruggs, who came up with a 61-yard touchdown after outrunning the Pittsburgh secondary.
Las Vegas’s defense had another strong showing, defending several deep passes and forcing Pittsburgh to play more underneath throughout the afternoon. With the secondary looking solid, it appears the team will release Nevin Lawson though the hope is the cornerback returns, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:
The #Raiders will be releasing CB Nevin Lawson today due to injuries at other positions, source said. They hope is to have him a back on the practice squad.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 20, 2021
Lawson has not played during the 2021 season due to a two-game suspension, but with how players like Trayvon Mullen and Nate Hobbs have looked, it makes sense for the Raiders to try and shore up other areas. Linebacker and the defensive line could use more depth after sustaining a few injuries, and the front office figures to bring in free agents in the coming weeks to compete for those spots.
Even if the team cannot keep Lawson, they have to be encouraged with how their young secondary has held up against pretty stiff competition to start the year. Gus Bradley deserves plenty of credit for how he has been able to turn the unit around so far, and he and the Raiders should be able to keep the momentum going when they take on a Miami Dolphins squad who could be without Tua Tagovailoa.
