When the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff sat down to study the latest Las Vegas Raiders game, there likely was something they loved about it. They got gashed in the running game by the New England Patriots.

Specifically, it was RB1 for New England doing the damage. Rhamondre Stevenson racked up 172 yards and a touchdown on just 19 rush attempts. In a one-score game, the Raiders were a miraculous play away from going into overtime against a deficient offense from the Patriots.

Why? Because they couldn't stop the run.

Anyone familiar with the franchise knows that's exactly the kind of game the Steelers want to play.

Sure, Kenny Pickett's expected return at quarterback is the most covered story in this game but the defining narrative will likely be in old-school rushing offense, not the quarterback.

"(The Steelers) got a whole bunch of other guys to worry about as well," Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham told reporters.

"From the running back to the O-line who's playing really well together. The receivers, tight end is a good player. (Najee Harris), he's one of the best in the league, but we always take that into consideration each week."

Taking it into consideration and succeeding against it are two different things, however. The Steelers should be able to exploit the Raiders' recent struggles versus the run.

The Raiders had 13 total missed tackles against the Patriots, a high mark against any team. Patriots' running backs Stevenson and Kevin Harris alone forced 10 of them in 24 combined carries.

Steelers will have to be patient

There's one interesting thing to note about the Raiders defense, though. Consider the following ranks against the run per RBSDM.com:

• 3rd in rush EPA/play
• 21st in rush success rate

In other words, the Raiders are not allowing big gains. But opponents can have success on a per-play basis against them. The Steelers can do patient, fortunately, as evidenced by last week's 21-play drive.

Pickett or not, get ready for a run-heavy approach on Saturday. That's how this one is most likely to be defined.

Featured image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports