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After an early stumble, the defense closed the door
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After an early stumble, the defense closed the door

• Fields didn’t have his best day throwing the football, completing 14 of 24 passes for 145 yards.

On one sequence early in the second quarter, he missed a wide-open George Pickens, then tight end Pat Freiermuth, then Pickens again, all on overthrows.

It was just one of those sequences where everything he threw was high.

But he does have the right mentality about such things.

“Everyone has bad throws, no one is perfect,” Fields said. “Don’t let it get into my head or anything. I’ve missed so many throws in my career. It’s nothing new. It’s nothing different. Like I told everyone, wrong throws, whether you’re Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, whoever whatsoever.”

At the same time, the Steelers scored points on seven of ten drives in this game, which did not include taking a knee to end the game. Some of that was on short fields set up by the defense and special teams.

But every time you score points on 70 percent of your possessions, you take it.

• Another game, another offensive injury.

This time it was talented rookie center Zach Frazier who went down with an ankle injury when a Raiders defender rolled up the back of his leg during a play.

It remains to be seen how long Frazier will be out, but his loss is just the latest in a long line of injury problems the Steelers have had up front this season.

Frazier, a second-round draft pick, may be the best new offensive lineman in the league this season.

“I love Zach. I feel sorry for him,” said fellow rookie McCormick, who has started games at both left and right guard because of injuries to Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels. “I don’t know exactly what it is. I know he is strong and he will come back.”

The Steelers could get offensive tackle Dylan Cook in practice this week. He has been on reserve since the start of the season due to an ankle injury.

But Daniels is done for the season, and so is Nate Herbig. There’s a chance that first-round pick Troy Fautanu returns sometime later in the season.