What the Steelers must do to defeat Chargers in week 6

The Steelers travel to the west coast at 1-4, looking to rebound and bring the AFC North race a game closer. They face a plethora of challenges and must play one of their best games this season.

The Ravens put a hurting on the Steelers in more ways than one. Not only did they come away with a win in overtime, but they also left the Steelers hobbled.

The Steelers are down to quarterback number three on the year for the first time since 2015 (Gradkowski was the original backup before getting injured.) One of their X-Factors is out with a knee injury for at least a month. Another receiver is banged up and is expected to miss time.

That’s only the offensive side of the ball. The Steelers also have a hobbled middle linebacker and corner–both being their free-agent acquisitions this year.

If you thought it couldn’t get any worse, the challenges only grow. They will go on the road to Los Angeles to face the 2-3 Chargers. The only saving grace about this trip? It’s a small stadium, and the Chargers also are a little banged around.

Nonetheless, the room for error has decreased significantly. If there is any chance the Steelers can make an improbable turnaround, it starts this week.

Devlin “Duck” Hodges likely will make his first start while Rudolph is in the concussion protocol. After a solid performance filling in at the end of the Raven’s game, throwing 7 of 9 for 68 yards, he will have all the pressure on him to produce and keep the Steelers season alive.

The defense will face yet another top tier quarterback this season in Philip Rivers. Last year, Rivers led the Chargers to a 33-30 comeback win in Heinz Field. This year, he has a lot of weapons at his disposal and is ready to rebound from last week’s dreadful game.

The Steelers have a chance to win this… but they will have to be near flawless to do it. Here’s what the must do to reel in a win heading into the bye week…