Charger quarterback Justin Herbert hands off to running back JK Dobbins during a recent home game. Herbert is questionable for the game on Sunday due to a high ankle sprain.
In the battle of two unbeaten teams, the good times finally ended for the Los Angeles Chargers this past weekend, as the Chargers fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-10, in a road game at Acrisure Stadium in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh. As Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said after the game, "Not every game's gonna be a fairy tale ending."
The Chargers started strong taking an early 7-0 lead late in the first quarter on a 27-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Herbert to wide receiver Quentin Johnston, capping a five play, 59-yard scoring drive. The Steelers came back to tie the game at 7-7 on a Justin Fields five-yard scamper into the end zone for a touchdown.
The Chargers added a 28-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker later in the second quarter to take a 10-7 lead. The Chargers came close to adding another touchdown on a Hail Mary attempt by Justin Herbert from mid-field, who threw a beautiful pass to the end zone that wide receiver Semi Fehoko was unable to bring in for a touchdown.
Herbert and the Chargers looked good in the first half. Herbert completed 12 of 14 passes in the first half for 125 yards, including nine consecutive completions. The Chargers had 171 yards in offense and had held the Steelers to 14 yards on the ground. The second half would be a different story.
In the second half, the Steelers completely dominated on both sides of the ball, outscoring the Chargers 13-0 and holding Los Angeles to -5 yards in total offense. The Steelers rushed for 100 yards in the second half, had a 55-yard touchdown pass from Fields to wide receiver Calvin Austin and kicker Chris Biswell added a pair of field goals. The Steelers physically beat up the Chargers in the second half of the game.
The Chargers suffered several injuries during the game, some of which could be attributed to the physical nature of the game. Herbert, playing the game with high ankle sprain, was knocked out of the game in the second half after a sack, reinjuring his ankle. Edge rusher Joey Bosa left early in the game after a hip injury.
Left tackle Rashawn Slater left with a pectoral injury, and right tackle Joe Alt left the game with a knee injury. The status of all four players is unknown for this week. Pro Bowl safety Derwin James will also miss this game due to an NFL suspension. James was hit with a suspension for "repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players" the NFL said in a statement.
The loss drops the Chargers to 2-1 on the season, while the Steelers improve to 3-0. Next up for the wounded Chargers are the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The game will be played this Sunday, September 29, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and will begin at 1:25 pm locally and will be televised locally on CBS.
The Chiefs are 3-0 but every game has been a struggle. The Chiefs have a seven-point win over the Baltimore Ravens at home, a one-point victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at home, and a five-point win over the Atlanta Falcons on the road.
The Chiefs have been riding their defense and quarterback Patrick Mahomes has made just enough plays to win games. The challenge for the Chargers will be trying to defeat the world champions without some of their best players. If both starting tackles are unable to play, running the ball may be difficult and protecting the quarterback will become more difficult.
The Chargers will need their defense and special teams to make plays in this game. The Los Angeles Chargers will have a much-needed bye week in Week 5, so a win over their division rivals would be huge going into the bye week.
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