The Los Angeles Chargers are still looking to attack the season, even without their star offensive tackle Joe Alt. Here’s what to look for in their tough matchup against the Steelers on Sunday:
Can Justin Herbert Avoid Pressure
The Chargers recently made a trade on Tuesday for offensive lineman Trevor Penning, whom Eric Smith of Chargers.com says, “offers position flexibility as he spent the first two seasons of his career at left tackle before switching to right tackle in 2024.” With that addition, there may be a little more cushion for Herbert come Sunday. But right guard Mekhi Becton has been injured often this season while offensive lineman Foster Sarell hasn’t been a great coverage piece, so the offensive line overall needs some extra padding.
And if we happen to stroll down memory lane to last season, when the Chargers faced the Steelers in Week 3 in 2024, Herbert was sacked twice and hurt his ankle even more, which had already been giving him issues. Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt was pretty relentless in that game and will certainly cause some extra anxiety for these stand-in offensive linemen on Sunday. And linebacker Patrick Queen and defensive lineman Cameron Heyward were also ruthless.
I know I’ve been saying this a lot this year, but I really mean it this time, that this game will be the test. Because Alt is not coming back this season. So Sunday will be the day the Chargers find out if the line can continue to protect Herbert and help him lead the team to more victories this season.
Support Local and Independent Sports Writing – Subscribe To the LAFB Network Today!
Chargers Receivers vs Steelers Defensive Backs
Is Jim Harbaugh The Real Life Ted Lasso?
The Steelers, in particular, have defensive backs galore, and they can wreck opponents. Between the newly acquired ones, like cornerback Jalen Ramsey, to old staples like cornerback Joey Porter Jr., there’s an option around every corner to disrupt the Chargers’ play. Ramsey, in particular, is leading the team in passes defended with nine, according to ESPN.
Wide receiver Quentin Johnston has certainly emerged as more of a contested catch threat than in years past, so he’ll certainly have to use some of those abilities. And considering just how many times wide receiver Keenan Allen has faced this team in his career, I certainly expect him to find a way to connect with Herbert. Wide receiver Ladd McConkey may have trouble, depending on whether players are more singularly focused on him. And rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II could struggle against these veterans, so it remains to be seen how much action he sees. It’ll be a battle out there, and all these guys will have to step up to get points on the board.
Stopping DK Metcalf
Despite his age, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not afraid to sling the ball downfield, and wide receiver D.K. Metcalf has emerged as his favorite target. Metcalf so far has the most touchdowns on the team, with five in receiving.
Cornerbacks Donte Jackson and Cam Hart, along with others in the secondary, will have to do some heavy-duty coverage to restrict Metcalf. Hart in particular had the best coverage grade (91.5%) against the Vikings, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), only allowing Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson two receptions of four targets and 12 yards, with one first down. So the same energy will be needed from Hart on Sunday. The Chargers just cannot allow Rodgers to connect with such a dangerous weapon.
Improved Tackling on Special Teams
Besides kicker Cameron Dicker’s successful field goals against the Titans, the Chargers’ special teams unit didn’t have a good day last Sunday. In that game, Titans wide receiver Chimere Dike returned a punt for a touchdown during the first quarter and had another longer return during the third. Linebacker Troy Dye, in particular, can be seen diving and then missing Dike during that punt return touchdown.
Since bringing on special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken in 2022, the Chargers have been on an upward trajectory when it comes to that unit. But punt return touchdowns cannot happen, so the tackling needs to be better in the next matchup. The Chargers are already going to have trouble on the offensive side without Alt, so they don’t need to make things harder for themselves by giving up points in this area.
If The Run Game Can Get Back On Track
Running back Kimani Vidal didn’t quite find the spark in the running game against the Titans that he did against the Vikings and only had 30 rushing yards. In fact, the leading rusher of the Titans game was Herbert with 57. Though the Steelers do have some good run defenders, considering the Chargers are without such a key piece of their offensive line, the more they can take the burden off Hebert with the run game, the better they may do in this next matchup.
Subscribe to LAFB Network’s Los Angeles Chargers YouTube Channel