Three biggest takeaways from Steelers Week 3 win

The Steelers secured their second straight primetime win over the Raiders on "Sunday Night Football." Here are the three biggest takeaways from Pittsburgh's 23-18 victory.

Pickett bounces back

Before Week 3, QB Kenny Pickett looked anything but his preseason self when he threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns and had a perfect passer rating of 158.3. In the Steelers' first two games, Pickett completed 46-of-76 for 454 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. That was far from the case in Week 3.

The second-year quarterback completed 16-of-28 for 235 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. It was Pickett's first career game with multiple touchdown passes and a quarterback ranking of more than 100 (108.5). It was against a Raiders defense that has struggled to start the year, but if Pickett can continue stacking similar performances, all the worries about him will be put to rest.

Defense is for real

Pittsburgh's defense has always been the focal point of the team and that remains true following another dominant performance. The Steelers defense now has 10 sacks, seven takeaways and two touchdowns the past two weeks. The defense is led by LB T.J. Watt, who is off to an unprecedented start to the season.

Watt became the first player to record six sacks and have a defensive touchdown in a team's first three games of a season, according to ESPN Stats & Info. The 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year has certainly began making the case for his second such award as he is on pace for 34 sacks in 2023. That is unlikely to happen, but the 28-year-old tied Michael Strahan's single season sack record (22.5) just a couple of years ago and may just break it this season.

New X-factor

The Steelers might have just found their next X-factor in the absence of WR Diontae Johnson, who is expected to miss up to four weeks with a hamstring injury. Wide receiver Calvin Austin III showcased his 4.32-second 40-yard dash speed in the preseason, but put it on full display on a 72-yard touchdown Sunday night.