The Pittsburgh Steelers are just about set to face off with the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6, and one member of the opposition seems particularly revved up for this affair.
On October 10, Raiders.com team reporter Levi Edwards and ESPN beat reporter Paul Gutierrez both relayed a quote from ex-Steelers linebacker Robert Spillane — who is now thriving with Las Vegas as a starter and captain of the defense.
“Leaving there has only grown the chip on my shoulder,” Spillane told the media. “At the end of the day, they had a chance to bring me back in free agency, but I’m here now and I’m so thankful to be a Raider and I look forward to bringing it to them on Sunday.”
Players don’t always come out and say what they’re feeling on the cusp of a revenge game against a former organization, but Spillane didn’t hold back here. Clearly, he felt Pittsburgh shouldn’t have let him walk in 2023, and maybe he’s right.
According to NFL analyst Daniel Valente of The Score, “Spillane leads the NFL in defensive stops with 34 [heading into Week 6], per Next Gen Stats.”
While “the highest Steelers inside LB is Patrick Queen, who is tied for 56th with 15 defensive stops. [And safety] DeShon Elliott is actually the highest-ranked Steelers player (t25th with 20 stops).”
In other words, head coach Mike Tomlin’s defense could probably use someone like Spillane right about now — and Las Vegas is only paying him $3.5 million per year. Queen is making over $13.6 million per year with the Steelers and has yet to provide the same impact.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Has ‘a Lot of Respect for’ Raiders LB Robert Spillane
Although Spillane appears to be entering this matchup with a certain intensity, Tomlin kept things very civil and complimentary when he spoke on the Raiders on October 8.
“And then at the second level [of the Las Vegas defense], just got a lot of respect for Robert Spillane,” the Steelers HC said on Tuesday of Week 6. “Had a lot of respect for him when he was here in terms of his approach to business. It’s really good to see how his career has taken off in Las Vegas.”
“I think he’s their defensive captain,” Tomlin went on, adding that he sees Spillane as a “splash playmaker” and not just an elite tackler — which Spillane has certainly become, racking up 148 total tackles in 2023. To back that claim, he noted that the Raiders linebacker forced three interceptions last year as well, crediting his ability to make “plays on the ball.”
“[Spillane is] doing similar things for [the Raiders] this year,” Tomlin finally concluded. “He’s in all circumstances. He’s a really good communicator [and he’s] doing a really good job for those guys.”
Raiders Coaching Staff Praises Ex-Steelers’ Robert Spillane as ‘Bell Cow’ of the Defense
Spillane seems to have really found a home with new Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Both spoke very highly of the former Steelers linebacker while chatting with Edwards.
“[He’s] our bell cow,” Pierce said of Spillane. “If Maxx [Crosby] is our super superhero, I mean, [Spillane] is the next thing we’ve got to it.”
“He’s been there every snap, has not missed one snap,” the Raiders HC reasoned. “Makes all the calls, makes all the checks. When you see him after the game, you see a guy that played balls to the wall. And nothing is more of a pleasure for me as a former linebacker to watch that from our middle linebacker.”
Pierce and Graham both also agreed that Spillane plays the game with “a chip on his shoulder,” as the linebacker stated himself.
“You can see the energy,” Graham said. “You can see the ability to communicate. So, when he got here, that’s why we wanted him.”
Pierce also argued that “I think [Spillane has] proven [himself] to everybody.”
“You don’t do what he’s done four weeks in a row and say that’s a fluke,” the coach explained. “He’s one of the better linebackers in the National Football League, and I’m glad he’s on our team.”
