Behind the Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a great opportunity to set themselves up for a great second half of the season with a win on Sunday over the Los Angeles Chargers.
A victory would send them to 6-3 going into a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, whose defense can’t stop a nose bleed. Will Pittsburgh be able to get the win on Sunday night? Our staff weighs in with this week’s picks.
Alex Hanczar: Prime time has not been good to Pittsburgh this season as they are 0-2 under the lights. However, an impressive outing last week provides optimism yet again. Last season, the Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Chargers at home handily, although star quarterback Justin Herbert was injured during the tilt.
There are plenty of ways to look at this game, both good and bad. I will air on the side of positivity this time around. Kyle Dugger and Jalen Ramsey work well together for the second straight week, and Pittsburgh’s defense shuts down an incredibly injured Chargers offense. Despite Herbert playing this time around, OT Joe Alt and RB Omarion Hampton are major absences. Steelers, 26, Chargers, 20
Mike Nicastro: It took a while, but I think the Steelers finally found a secret recipe on defense. Although I’m not sure it was a secret for the rest of us. I think replacing Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark in the backend for Jalen Ramsey and Kyle Dugger could ultimately change the trajectory of the season.
The defense was opportunistic against a great Colts team, and it feels like they have a chip on their shoulder following a few butt whippings. Herbert is one of the best signal-callers in the league, and there’s no question he’ll have big moments. But missing their starting offensive tackles and top two running backs, I think the Steelers are getting the Chargers at a good time. The Chargers looked bad against the Titans last week, which isn’t a good sign.
I’m not worried about a road disadvantage – this crowd will be 60% black and gold. Steelers 24, Chargers 21
Ryland Bickley: Another week, another impossible-to-predict Steelers game. That being said, I think this could be another positive game for the Pittsburgh defense, given LA’s patchwork offensive line and long time to throw.
There is absolutely a version of this game where Justin Herbert wills the Chargers to victory, but I’ll keep the optimism train rolling and pick the Steelers, 27-24.
Joey Bray: The Steelers bounced back last week and defeated arguably the hottest team in the league at the time in the Indianapolis Colts. The stretch of tough games continues as the Steelers now travel to take on another team currently in the AFC playoff picture, making this one even harder to predict.
There is a lot to like about the Steelers’ chances in this game, particularly that Los Angeles will be without both of their starting tackles. However, I still find myself concerned about the lack of consistency on the defensive side...
