Raiders-Steelers game will be bittersweet after Harris' death
December. Cold. High(-ish) stakes.
In some ways, it's the same as it ever was for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Yet what was supposed to be a celebration of one of the iconic plays in NFL history and the man who authored it will be bittersweet tonight when the Steelers (6-8) host the Raiders (6-8).
Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris' death on Wednesday — just two days before the 50th anniversary of “The Immaculate Reception” that gave Pittsburgh an improbable victory in the 1972 playoffs and three days before the Steelers were scheduled to retire his No. 32 — brought reality crashing into view.
“We're all heartbroken, but we do look forward to honoring him and his legacy this weekend,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. “And obviously, where our attention needs to be is on the preparation required to put together the type of performance that's fitting of a great man like Franco.”
It's almost certainly what Harris would have wanted. When the NFL put the schedule together last spring, it was with an eye toward history and the hope that both teams would still have something to play for.
They do, but just barely. Pittsburgh has won three of four to keep its wafer-thin postseason hopes alive. The Raiders enter with their own scaled-down version of “The Immaculate Reception” in their bizarre game-ending walk-off victory over New England last week, when defensive end Chandler Jones grabbed an ill-advised lateral by the Patriots and raced to the end zone as time expired while his teammates stood dumbfounded on the sideline.
“It was one of the wildest endings as far as the final play that I've been a part of,” Las Vegas wide receiver Davante Adams said. “So, I was kind of stuck for a minute just watching.”
A feeling familiar to anyone who watched Harris race down the sideline at Three Rivers Stadium on Dec. 23, 1972, after catching a carom that kickstarted a dynasty and a rivalry that in a way defined the 1970s.
The rivalry will go on, even without the man who started it all with one heads-up play.
“He would want us to be focused and go out and practice hard and go get the win,” Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett said. “So we're definitely playing for him this week.”
BILLS AT BEARS
The Bears put the Philadelphia Eagles to the test last week. Quarterback Justin Fields put up 95 rushing yards, and the defense intercepted Jalen Hurts twice and prevented him from throwing a touchdown for the first time since Week 5. They easily covered the 8 1⁄2-point spread against Philadelphia’s weak rushing defense. The offensive line struggled to protect Fields, however, allowing him to be sacked six times. This week, Chicago faces the Bills, who have the third-best rushing defense in the league. It’s going to be 3 degrees with 20 mph winds, but the Bills are no strangers to the cold. The Bears would be wise to let Fields take it easy and plan for the future
SAINTS AT BROWNS
Last week, Deshaun Watson threw only four passes of more than 10 yards in the Browns’ 13-3 win over Baltimore. This week, running back Nick Chubb is questionable. Without him in the lineup, and with Cade York kicking field goals in 40 mph winds, it’s hard to see how the Browns score many points. The Saints are still very much in the playoff hunt.
TEXANS AT TITANS
The Titans have not looked good over the past six weeks, and they are in danger of losing their division to the surging Jaguars. Fortunately, they get the last-place Texans this week to try to get a much-needed victory. The texans took Kansas City to overtime last week, but that game was deceiving. Despite the close score, the Texans were massively outplayed in nearly every category offensively. The Texans benefited from Kansas City’s drawing 10 penalties for 102 yards.
SEAHAWKS AT CHIEFS
Kansas City believes it is Super Bowl-bound, and why not? Patrick Mahomes is playing MVP-caliber football. He has the best expected points added per dropback, and last week he completed a career-best 87.8% of his passes. But this is not a team beyond reproach. Kansas City’s defense ranks 24th in DVOA and has given up at least 24 points in four of its past five games. This week, Kansas City faces Seattle, which has a similarly productive defense. And Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, whose EPA per dropback used to rival Mahomes’, has dropped to ninth after some flat performances the past two weeks.
GIANTS AT VIKINGS
This game should be entertaining if nothing else. The Vikings will make sure of it. They’ve won 11 games, and 10 of them have been by eight points or fewer. Last week, they fell behind to the Colts 33-0 just to set up the greatest comeback in NFL history and win, 39-36. The Giants are coming off their biggest win of the season against Washington, nearly guaranteeing an appearance in the playoffs. Just like the Vikings, the Giants play close games. None of their eight wins have been by more than one score. Odds are this game will be close, too
BENGALS AT PATRIOTS
The Bengals are playing some of the best football in the NFL right now, and the Patriots are playing not to lose each week. The Patriots have one of the best defenses in the league, and their coach knows how to manage a game and keep the team in a position to pounce on opponents’ mistakes. They just need to avoid making any boneheaded mistakes of their own.
LIONS AT PANTHERS
The Lions are doing the unthinkable: They are making a legitimate playoff run. They’ve won six of their past seven games. A win against the Panthers would bring their playoff chances up to around 56%. Last week, the Panthers lost to the Steelers after putting up a total of 21 rushing yards, their fewest since 2012. D’Onta Foreman had rushed for more than 70 yards in each of their two wins going into the Pittsburgh game. The Lions’ defense has been improving, but their average opponent’s yards per play is still the league’s worst.
FALCONS AT RAVENS
Quarterback Desmond Ridder’s debut last week did not go well. He threw for 97 yards on 26 pass attempts and leaned heavily on Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson to move the ball in a 21-18 loss to the Saints. Allgeier had a careerhigh 139 yards and a touchdown, and he averaged 8.2 yards per carry. The Ravens had hoped to see Lamar Jackson return to the team this week, but he’s out for this game. Since Jackson left the game in the first quarter of their Week 13 game against Denver, the Ravens have scored two touchdowns in three games. Last week against the Browns, they didn’t reach the end zone once. The Ravens will need their defense, which has held teams to 3.8 yards per carry, to shut down Allgeier.
COMMANDERS AT 49ERS
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns against the Seahawks last week and clinched the NFC West. Purdy has managed the team well, but has thrown only three passes more than 20 yards. Perhaps the 49ers simply haven’t needed him to throw it deep. Their offense is a well-oiled machine, with a league-best points-per-play margin over the past three weeks. They have built up big first-half leads in their past five games.
EAGLES AT COWBOYS
Jalen Hurts sprained a shoulder against the Bears and won’t play this week. so backup Gardner Minshew fills in. These teams match up extremely well, and if Hurts had been healthy this game, it most likely would have been a blockbuster. With Hurts out, it may come down to whose defense is better. The Eagles have the edge there, since Dallas has some cluster injuries on defense, and the Eagles have one of the best offensive lines in the league.