The Pittsburgh Steelers head to the West Coast to take on the Los Angeles Chargers for another Sunday Night Football matchup. After an impressive win and a strong defensive performance against the red-hot Indianapolis Colts last week, the Steelers will need to deliver that same kind of effort on a more consistent basis.
Pittsburgh has to keep stacking wins to stay ahead in the AFC North and keep Baltimore from closing the gap, while also taking advantage of a key AFC matchup that could play a big role in playoff seeding later in the season.
This won’t be an easy trip, with a long cross-country flight and a showdown against one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. If the Steelers want to head home with another win, here are three keys to beating the Chargers in Los Angeles.
3 keys to a Pittsburgh Steelers' victory over the Chargers on SNF
Steelers' defense needs to continue to rely more on its base packages
The Steelers' defense finally showed up and reminded everyone just how good they can be. Going into the game, the unit had been getting shredded by both fans and media for its inconsistent play this season. Facing the league’s top offense in the Colts, there was not much optimism that they would turn things around, especially late in the week when multiple safeties were ruled out, forcing Jalen Ramsey to move to safety.
The defense shut everyone up. They forced six turnovers, dominated Indianapolis, and made several key adjustments that completely changed the game. Pittsburgh leaned more on its base packages, which simplified things and cut down on the miscommunication issues that had been hurting them.
With Ramsey moving to safety and Brandin Echols sliding into the slot, both players stepped up and played extremely well. The Steelers also used more two-high safety looks and blitzed less, relying on their front four to create pressure. That approach allowed the coverage to hold up longer and gave the pass rush more time to get home.
That same formula will have to carry over against the Chargers. Justin Herbert ranks second in the NFL in passing yards and has a strong group of playmakers to throw to. However, Los Angeles is dealing with major injuries along the offensive line, with both starting tackles out for the season, and their top running backs, Omarian Hampton and Najee Harris, sidelined.
The Chargers will likely try to attack Pittsburgh’s secondary with their passing game, so the Steelers need to stick with those two high safety looks and trust their front four to get pressure. If T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and the rest of the defensive line can bring the same energy they had against the Colts, the Steelers will have a great shot at walking out of Los Angeles with a win.
Special teams could be the difference in this game
The Chargers have one of the worst special teams units in the NFL. They are last in kickoff coverage, last in punt coverage, and third worst in punt returns, giving opponents consistently good starting field position. For the Steelers to win the field position battle and potentially steal a possession or two, their usually solid special teams will need to be at their best Sunday night.
If the defense struggles to force turnovers, the special teams will have to flip the field and give the offense shorter distances to work with. Look for Danny Smith to have something up his sleeve, whether it is a punt block or a big return, as this could be a sneaky factor that swings the game in Pittsburgh’s favor.
Steelers offense must rebound
Before the Steelers' defense started forcing turnovers and creating chaos, this offense could not move the ball at all. They struggled mightily and were only able to take advantage of the turnovers by turning them into touchdowns. Despite what the scoreboard says with 27 points, this offense will need to be much better down the stretch.
The Steelers managed just 187 passing yards and 38 rushing yards, totaling only 225 yards of offense. That simply will not be enough to win most games, and the defense will not be able to generate turnovers at the same high rate as they did against the Colts.
With six extra possessions, the score should have been much higher. Against a quarterback like Justin Herbert, the Steelers need a balanced attack to keep him off the field and sustain long drives. The Chargers' defense is well-coached, and the Steelers will have to do more to get playmakers like Metcalf involved and get their running game back on track. The key for this team is to be a balanced offense and build early leads, allowing the defense to do what it does best, pin their ears back and pressure the quarterback.