Steelers report card: Justin Fields saves the day in Week 3 vs. Chargers

Another week means another win for the Pittsburgh Steelers. At least, that is how the first three weeks to start the season have been going. The black and gold have found ways to win even if that means getting things done ugly or rather dull on offense. Each win has gotten better than the last, and this past game against the Chargers might have been one of the bigger tests in the early goings.

The Chargers came to town in the Steelers home opener in Week 3 of the NFL season. It was a game with plenty of injuries on both sides of the ball. It was the tale of two halves as LA beat up the Steelers in the first, and Pittsburgh was able to rally in the second. It was close to a boxing match, and the home team was able to put enough behind their final punch to win the game and keep their unbeaten streak alive.

Steelers offense report card grade: B

You cannot talk about this game without mentioning Justin Fields. He looked much better than his first two games. It could have been his best game as a starting quarterback in the NFL. The Steelers relied on Fields to find open receivers and make plays when they were there. It seemed like the coaching staff showed more trust in Fields in Week 3, and that got them to victory.

The offensive line struggled to block in the run game, but Mason McCormick helped late in the contest as the extra offensive lineman. Calvin Austin III and Scotty Miller showed that they deserve a shot at unseating Van Jefferson's spot as a starting receiver. The offense did their job and closed out the game with a 55-yard touchdown pass by Fields to cap off a 20-point performance.

Steelers defense report card grade: A

Tale of two halves for the Steelers defense against the Chargers. They looked bad in the first half as a whole. Justin Herbert was completing most of his passes, but they held them to 10 points, so it is hard to be too critical. Big shoutout to Nick Herbig as he looked relentless in this game. He was the spark that this defense needed. If Alex Highsmith misses an extended period, Herbig could eventually unseat him as a starter.

The secondary seemed to settle into the game. They had a couple of blown coverages early in the battle, but they improved. The first half was concerning to watch for the Steeler's defense, but they found ways to slow the Charger's offense down. Maybe that was because Herbert wasn't healthy, but they still found ways to dominate in the second half and held the Chargers to negative five yards of offense.

Steelers special teams report card grade: B+

Pretty solid outing by the Steelers special teams unit once again. One thing to note, Chris Boswell seemed shaky after he missed his 62-yard field goal attempt. He was able to make the remainder of his kicks against LA, but he didn't do it with ease. There were a couple of attempts that barely made it in between the uprights. The Steelers will take the points, but it should raise an eyebrow to many.

Not many are talking about Corliss Waitman. He has been terrific since taking over for the injured Cameron Johnston. Many thought there would be a steep falloff, but the Steelers have been lucky since signing Waitman. He has been punting the ball well and could be setting up for one of the best seasons as a Pittsburgh punter in a long time. Fans in this city should always appreciate that.