Steelers-Chargers Preview: Can Pittsburgh stay undefeated?

It'll be Justin vs. Justin in Week 3

The Pittsburgh Steelers will play their 2024 home opener on Sunday, September 22 and their opponent will be the equally 2-0 Los Angeles Chargers. As Justin Fields prepares to be the starter for the third straight game, the Chargers offense will be led by another Justin, this one named Herbert. It’s the Justin vs. Justin show and there is no argument as to who the better quarterback is.

Justin Herbert is the better quarterback…for now. While both are veteran QBs, Herbert’s career thus far has been much more successful. However, with Fields coming to Pittsburgh in a trade with the Chicago Bears, he has been given a fresh start and thus far has made the most of it, managing Pittsburgh’s new-look offense and doing enough to get the Steelers ahead in both games while the defense plays lights out. 

As the ‘Bolts come to town having given up the fewest points on defense in the NFL after two weeks, this will be the 36th meeting between the two teams. Pittsburgh and the then San Diego Chargers first met on October 3, 1971, a game in Pittsburgh at Three Rivers Stadium that the Steelers were victorious in by a score of 21-17. Since then, Pittsburgh has won 22 of the other 31 games played for a regular season advantage of 23 wins and just nine losses. That’s domination. 

In fact, in the first six meetings of these two teams, the Steelers won them all. That included a 37-0 whitewashing by the Black and Gold in 1975. After those first six, the Chargers finally won two in a row in 1979 and 1980, getting a little revenge for that earlier shutout by winning 35-7 on November 18, 1979. Pittsburgh won another five in a row from 1989 through 1993. Another five-game winning streak took place from 1995 to 2005. 

The Chargers and Steelers last met in 2021 in a game in L.A. won by the Chargers 41-37. Since 2009, the series has been more competitive with seven games played and the Steelers winning four of them. In the playoffs these two teams have met three times, and they all came when the Chargers called San Diego home. The first postseason meeting was on January 9, 1983, a game in Pittsburgh the Steelers lost 31-28 in the wild card round.

In 1995 Pittsburgh and San Diego both advanced to the AFC title game played at Three Rivers Stadium and no fan in Steelers Nation that witnessed that game will ever forget it. With a first and goal and the game clock winding down, Neil O’Donnell and his offense tried to pass their way into the end zone as time was running out and instead of running Barry Foster, the result was incomplete passes one after another and the Chargers went on to the Super Bowl where they got wiped out by the San Francisco 49ers. 

It remains a mystery why Foster was not used, shades of the Seattle Seahawks trying something similar in the Super Bowl as they had a chance to defeat the Patriots by running Marshawn Lynch but instead also tried to pass for a winning score only to be intercepted on their attempt. The Steelers would get to the Super Bowl the following season and win it, but no one will ever know if Pittsburgh would have fared better against the Niners.

That brings us back to week three of the NFL season. The Steelers offense has not been highly productive but has done enough to build a lead that the defense protected. The Chargers are coming off a blowout of the lowly Carolina Panthers 26-3 and they opened their season with a 22-10 victory over division rival Las Vegas. So essentially, the Chargers have not been challenged by a solid team to date this season. 

Pittsburgh on the other hand has won two on the road which is impressive and by beating Atlanta, they shut down Kirk Cousins and the Falcons, a team that bounced back in week two to defeat one of the highest rated teams in the NFL in the Eagles. The Chargers’ high scoring offense will face a severe test in Pittsburgh. The Steelers will be challenged to score more than one touchdown and not have to resort to just field goals.

Offense vs. Offense

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert tweaked an ankle in week two and has been listed as questionable for the game in Pittsburgh. As for this writing his participation in mid-week practices was up in the air. I’m sure he’s going to give it a go against the Steelers but knowing he is a big dinged up is an advantage for this nasty Pittsburgh ‘D. Through two games Herbert’s stats are not much better than Fields. In fact, Fields has a better completion percentage (69.8 to 67.4) and is just one yard short in passing yards with 273 thus far. Herbert has only thrown for three touchdowns, two better than the other Justin. Here’s an especially important stat in Fields’ favor. Zero interceptions while Herbert threw one. Herbert’s rating is just a tad better with a 95.7 mark to the Steelers QB’s 94.4. 

When it comes to using their legs, Justin Fields has rushed for 84 yards in two games whereas Herbert has only 24. In the Chargers’ backfield, the Steelers will have to find a way to slow down J.K. Dobbins as he is averaging 9.9 yards per carry with a total of 266 yards. The rest of their running attack is far behind with Gus Edwards second on the team totaling 85 yards on the ground. Los Angeles’s leading receiver is Quentin Johnson with just 89 yards. So thus far in the season the Chargers like the Steelers want to pound the ball offensively.

With Pittsburgh, they are running a ground and pound philosophy thus the reason there are few points on the board. The rushing attack is not putting up big numbers with their primary back Najee Harris rushing for 139 yards so far but only a 3.8 per carry average. Fields is second with 84 number and Jaylen Warren is hopefully just warming up with an additional 49 yards on 11 carries.

As for the receiving targets, George Pickens moved into the number one slot this season with the trade of Diontae Johnson and so far, he has been targeted 11 times. With a few big plays wiped out by penalties, Pickens and Fields are primed to strike at some point. Pickens after two games has eight receptions and 114 yards. One of those catches came for 40 yards. Pat Freiermuth is supposed to have a breakout season but so far, he also has eight catches but for just 66 yards. 

One thing for sure about the Steelers offense is get within a 57-yard field goal and Chris Boswell is going to convert. Mike Tomlin, I’m sure, does not care about how many points are on the board if his defense is doing their job. So far that’s been the case above and beyond. With that said, there is no way in my opinion that this offense is not going to able to hit the end zone. It will happen and I think it will happen soon. 

Offensive advantage: Chargers. Herbert is simply a better quarterback and is a passing threat. Justin Fields is a threat though to run and so far after two games he has kept mistakes to a minimum which if he keeps up will keep proposed starter Russell Wilson on the bench. I think these two offenses are close in talent but if there is an edge, it would have to go to L.A.

Defense vs. defense. The Chargers defense is led by Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. Mack may be past his prime but look who else is on their roster. Former Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree. The once promising Dupree went from Pittsburgh to the Tennessee Titans to the Atlanta Falcons before signing with the Chargers. The Steelers secondary has four interceptions to the Chargers two.

While Los Angeles has some dangerous weapons on defense, the Steelers are strong everywhere. Minkah Fitzpatrick is back to playing his style. T.J. Watt is well…T.J. Watt. We now have former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen to bolster the linebacker’s unit and rookie Payton Wilson is showing why the Steelers valued his pick so highly. Alex Highsmith is a solid threat to counter Watt and then you have the two fresh faces in DeShon Elliott and Donte Jackson who have contributed mightily. 

Joey Porter Jr. continues to improve on his amazing rookie season and as expected Beanie Bishop and Cory Trice are playing to their full potential. Then you have guys just chipping in with big plays such as Miles Killebrew and Damontae Kazee. Up front Cameron Heyward with a new contract extension he is playing like the Hall of Fame player he may one day be. Keeanu Benton is still learning and growing as is Larry Ogunjobi. Montravious Adams has contributed as has DeMarvin Leal. With starting punter Cameron Johnston on injured reserve Corliss Waitman has stepped in and not missed a beat having punted the ball eight times for a 53.0 average, one kick traveling 58 yards, and he was two placed inside the 20. 

Defensive advantage: Pittsburgh…ALL DAY. If this defense stays healthy believe me, they will be a top five defense when the season comes to a close. They are that good. Scary good. 

Intangibles. This will be a close competitive game no doubt. But home opener for the Steelers? Loud and crazy crowd in attendance? Terrible Towels flying throughout the entire stadium? I can’t see the Steelers losing this game. If Justin Herbert is hobbling nursing his bum ankle, watch for the Steelers to attack and continue to rush the pocket like there is no tomorrow. 

For the record, the Steelers have begun a season 3-0 nine times. The last was in 2020 and they lost in the wild card round of the playoffs. In 2010 it was a 3-0 start that led to a Super Bowl appearance only to lose to Green Bay. The one fact about the 3-0 starts you will like is that every time this was the case Pittsburgh only missed the playoffs once. However, with that said, in the eight other times they lost in the post season every time except for the Super Bowl title seasons of 1978 and 1979.

Prediction: I think this will be a defensive slugfest. Through the first two games of the season, I gave Pittsburgh’s offense the benefit of the doubt thinking they would put up some big numbers on the scoreboard which obviously was not the case. This will be their toughest defensive challenge to date and the Chargers will be hard pressed to produce on their offensive side of the ball. Home field advantage in my opinion will be huge on this day. Steelers 20 Chargers 17.