With the Steelers set to face off against the Chargers, here are four bold predictions for their week 11 matchup.
The Steelers already had a tall task of facing a talented Chargers team this week. Add in the numerous injuries and the growing Covid list for the team, and suddenly this game looks impossible.
There are some ways the team could squeak out a win, but don’t be surprised to see the Pittsburgh struggle this week. Here are five bold predictions for the Steelers vs the Chargers in week 11.
Steelers run defense continues to falter
Easily the reason the Steelers tied to the Lions; the run defense was nowhere to be seen. Despite consistently lining up with an eligible tackle on the field, the Lions were gashing the team constantly for long, chunk runs. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the team seemingly found a semblance of an answer, but at that point, it was too late. Now, this run defense is going up against a better running back and a better offensive line.
With all of the injuries to the defense and the fact that this team will likely focus on the Chargers passing offense (and rightfully so given the damage that can be done there), I think the run defense once again is an issue.
No, Austin Ekeler doesn’t run for 200 yards, but he proves to be efficient en route to a 150-yard day on the ground and he takes the pressure off the passing offense. The team will be hoping Carlos Davis can play again because their current unit is struggling to stop the run.
Steelers don’t record a sack
One of the steadier aspects of this Steelers defense over the past few years is their ability to get after the quarterback. Earlier in the season, they were on an unprecedented 75-game sack streak before losing that to the Bengals. Even then, the team has still sacked the quarterback 26 times total this year, and this pass rush has easily been the best aspect of this team.
Unfortunately, the star of the pass rush is very much in question for this game. While T.J. Watt avoided a season-ending injury, he is still suffering in a major way from the Lions game. Even if he plays, he won’t be anywhere near 100 percent. This means Taco Charlton will step in as a contributor, and while he has looked good as a backup, it will be a tall task for him to be the sack artist that Watt is.
While Alex Highsmith and Cameron Heyward will still force pressures as well, having a mangled-up Watt (which is the best-case scenario) doesn’t scream great pass rush this week. Add in the Chargers stout offensive line and suddenly there is a chance that Justin Herbert is passing with clean pockets. This matchup does not look great on paper, and the Steelers will have to try their best to get after the quarterback despite their injuries upfront.
The Steelers offense stalls
Let me continue to add to the doom and gloom (I don’t think this game ends well, clearly) with the fact that the Steelers’ offense comes and has another rough performance. Honestly, I think this will be akin to their game against the Packers. They will come out and try to establish the run, fall behind early, and be forced to pass.
No matter who ends up quarterbacking this team, the only way the Steelers win this week is on the ground. Najee Harris needs to be the focus on offense, as him grinding out long drives keeps the ball out of the Chargers’ hands. One would have thought that would have been the gameplan against the Lions, but the Steelers opted to pass the ball far more than they ran to a miserable result.
While the Charger’s run defense is pretty bad, they will likely be expecting this. If they counter the Steelers running game well enough, then this game is as good as lost. I expect Harris to have a fine game no matter what, but he needs a career day for the team to win. I don’t see that happening, and quite frankly, I think this offense resembles their first four weeks more so than anything else.
Steelers Norwood shines
One of the true gems of this impressive rookie class has been defensive back Tre Norwood. The college safety came into the league with no defined role but has since taken on the job as dime defensive back. With the struggling play of Arthur Maulet, he has expanded his role to cover some of the slot duties. This week will be different, as he will likely be taking on more of a free safety role.
While giving the rookie too much is certainly a concern, to this point Norwood has been able to handle it. I think he does the same this week, as he works on replacing the value that Minkah Fitzpatrick has in the deep middle of the field. Herbert will likely try and test him this week, and I think that leads to some positive results.
While not dominant, I think Norwood more than holds his own as a free safety. An interception and a pair of pass breakups lead to him having a great game as a rookie. While Fitzpatrick will still remain the starting free safety even though his play has been pretty mute, having Norwood play so well is encouraging. He can and will truly be a chess piece to play all over the defensive secondary.
Steelers Bush begins losing snaps
On the flip side of things, Devin Bush has really been struggling as the primary inside linebacker for the defense. The former top-ten pick has looked off the entire season. While still an impressive athlete, his decision-making seems to have slowed considerably and he has played very risk-averse. While not taking too many risks is fine as a player, he seems to be so slow processing that he gets entirely taken out of far too many plays.
This was clear last week against the Lions, as he would either fill the wrong gap, take horrible tackling angles, or wait too long to make a decision and then be blocked right out of the play. No, he won’t be benched this week, but I think the team starts to mix in some more Robert Spillane. While not as good of an inside linebacker overall, Spillane is a smart player and makes quick decisions. He excels playing downhill and would help boost the run defense overall.
Bush has to make some sort of improvements and soon. He is quickly becoming a liability on the defense and in the run game. All he needs is to get his decision-making back to where it was at before and suddenly this would be a whole different conversation. He is playing far too conservative right now and it is hurting the defense. Thus, the team has to mix in Spillane this week.
The Steelers have a tough task at hand this week against the Chargers. Add in the numerous injuries and Covid issues for the team and this week seems almost impossible. Keep these five bold predictions in mind as the Steelers get ready to square off against the Chargers.