Steelers vs Chargers: 3 key matchups to watch in week 6

After a brutal start to the season at 1-4, the Steelers move on from Baltimore and head out west to Los Angeles to take on the 2-3 Chargers. With the AFC North race still in striking distance, a win would be a must heading into the bye week.

So you’re telling me there’s a chance? I feel like Lloyd Christmas when I look at the Steelers predicament. At 1-4, the Steelers still have the slightest of chances after the Browns dropped to 2-3. However, the Steelers loss on Sunday created a big missed opportunity.

After Justin Tucker showed why he is one of the best kickers in the NFL on Sunday, the Steelers lost in a lot of ways.

They lost their backup QB, swiss-army-knife RB, and a few defensive players are questionable heading into the Sunday night showdown in LA.

Even an optimist like me is having a hard time to feel good about anything right now. Pittsburgh has never rebounded from an 0-3 start and they have only made the playoffs once after starting 3-4 (1995 Season.) That 3-4 start is pending on whether or not a miracle occurs this week and after the bye week.

The Chargers are a group also looking to rebound in a divisional race they too are losing. The one thing that could work for the Steelers this week is the fact they head to a stadium that only holds 30K fans. If the Steelers Nation arrives, it could, in essence, be a neutral site.

The last west coast win for the Steelers came in 2015 in San Diego–defeating the Chargers with Mike Vick and Le’Veon Bell’s last-second score. The key element in that game? Steelers Nation arrived in a big way.

If the Steelers want to go into their bye week with a 2-4 record and a slightly brighter sense of hope, they will have to win 3 key matchups in LA.