Updated

If the Oakland Raiders are going to make a run in the second half of the season they will have to become a much better second-half team.

The Raiders overcame a frustratingly familiar pattern in their 21-18 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. They followed a dynamic first-half offensive performance with a lackluster second and relied on a rapidly improving defense to hold on for the win.

The task for Oakland (3-4) now as the Raiders hit the soft part of their schedule is figuring out how to carry that first-half success over to the final 30 minutes.

The problem has been especially stark in recent weeks when the Raiders have dominated games for the first 30 minutes only to fall apart in the second half.