Steelers' projected playoff matchup is the last team Pittsburgh wants to see

If the 2024 season ended today, the Pittsburgh Steelers would not only secure a playoff spot, but they would also own home-field advantage in the Wild Card round. Even after squandering a golden opportunity against the Browns on Thursday Night Football, the Steelers would get to host their first playoff game since the 2020 season.

While their hopes of landing the top seed in the AFC dwindled with their disheartening loss against Cleveland in Week 12, Pittsburgh is an 8-3 football team that is essentially a playoff lock, barring a monumental collapse down the stretch.

Unfortunately, their projected matchup is the last team the Steelers would want to see right now.

Entering Week 13, we have an updated playoff picture. Yes, the Steelers would have a home game in the Wild Card round, but if the season ended today, they would be hosting the Los Angeles Chargers.

Chargers would be a nightmare playoff matchup for Steelers

Some of you are probably thinking, 'But the Steelers beat the Chargers early in the season.' This is true. Back in Week 3, Pittsburgh hosted LA in what proved to be a 20-10 win with quarterback Justin Fields at the helm. But things have changed a lot since then.

Despite their Monday Night Football loss to the Ravens in Week 13, the Chargers have gained a head of steam in the middle of the season -- going on a four-game winning streak before falling to Baltimore in a one-score game.

So what's so scary about the Chargers? It's simple: they have a lethal combination of head coach, quarterback, and defense.

Let's start with the head coach. Jim Harbaugh is in his first season with the Chargers, but in five total seasons as an NFL head coach (four with the 49ers), Harbaugh has a record of 51-23-1. This is good for a win rate of 68.7 percent. In comparison, Mike Tomlin's win rate sits at 63.6 percent despite never having a losing season in what will be 18 years.

The Chargers also have a franchise quarterback named Justin Herbert. The 26-year-old is nearing the peak of his NFL career. While Herbert doesn't have the same volume numbers he did in his first three seasons, he has 15 total touchdowns to go with just one interception while averaging 8.37 adjusted yards per attempt and a career-high 99.0 passer rating.

On top of arguably the two most important factors in football, LA's defense has been phenomenal this season. Even after their worst performance of the season against Baltimore, the Chargers have the league's top-ranked scoring defense -- allowing just 15.9 points per game.

This is a well-coached football team that doesn't allow points in the red zone. Meanwhile, the Steelers have struggled to hit paydirt at times with Russell Wilson. You can bet Harbaugh would be well-prepared for a rematch.

No team the Steelers would face in the playoffs would be a cakewalk, but Pittsburgh would have a better matchup against Baltimore or Denver. Heck, if the Steelers fall to second place in the AFC North, they'd probably be better off facing the Ravens or Texans on the road in the first round of the playoffs than hosting the Chargers.

The Steelers were fortunate to catch Los Angeles early in the season. If they met again right now, we would be looking at a very different type of game. Mike Tomlin will look to knock the socks off of any opponent they get in the playoffs, but Pittsburgh shouldn't want any part of this Chargers team right now.