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.
Steelers Vs. Raiders Game Recap: Oakland Shocks Pittsburgh With Comeback, 34-31 Victory
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.
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