The Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers are set to square off on Sunday Night Football this week, with the winner gaining a key advantage in the AFC playoff race. A victory for the Steelers would allow them to maintain their large lead in the AFC North standings, and the Chargers need a win to stay within striking distance of the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos.
In such a pivotal matchup, there is no room for mistakes by either coaching staff. That's why the Steelers must be prepared to deal with a veteran playmaker having a resurgence thanks to his return to Los Angeles.
Wide receiver Keenan Allen's return to the Chargers this offseason was far from a surprise, but his performance since signing with his original team has far exceeded any reasonable expectations. In an offense full of young and explosive weapons, it's the 33-year-old veteran who the Steelers must find a way to keep in check.
The Pittsburgh Steelers cannot allow Chargers' Keenan Allen to burn them once again
The Steelers should be well aware of what Allen is capable of. Two of the receiver's best games came against Pittsburgh, including a 14-catch, 148-yard performance in a 33-30 Chargers victory back in 2018. Nearly a decade later, Allen remains a serious challenge for defenses to deal with.
He leads Los Angeles in both targets (75) and receptions (50), and is just four yards behind star second-year receiver Ladd McConkey for the most receiving yards on the squad (520). He may not be the same player he was in his prime, but he is still one of the hardest players to cover in the NFL.
Allen has seamlessly resumed his role as Herbert's go-to guy on third downs, with 33 first downs on his 50 receptions. That is what Steelers' defensive coordinator Teryl Austin must have a plan for. With a depleted offensive line and running back room, the Chargers will likely lean on the quick passing game and play action to try and move the ball.
Few defenses have struggled more against quick-hitting passes than the Steelers. Just rewatch their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals if you need a reminder. Part of the problem was their insistence on blitzing, which left wide-open gaps in their struggling secondary.
They showed a willingness to change that in their upset win over the Indianapolis Colts last week, so a similar strategy will hopefully be deployed Sunday night. They should have no trouble getting pressure with just four, and having seven coverage players will allow them to pay extra attention to Allen and the rest of the talented playmakers employed by Los Angeles.
If they can't contain Allen, especially on third-down opportunities, it could be another ugly game for an up-and-down Steelers' defense.