An finish to the shutdown?
Not for the Chargers, whose protection put the clamps on the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 25-10 victory earlier than a sea of black-and-gold-clad followers and a nationwide TV viewers.
Neither group had many offensive highlights — or first downs, for that matter — however the Chargers did sufficient to win their third sport in a row, one thing they hadn’t finished for the reason that first three video games of the season.
You would possibly name the Chargers inhospitable, seeing because the Steelers got here into the sport averaging 25.3 factors. You would possibly name the Steelers inhospitable for filling SoFi Stadium with Pittsburgh followers.
The Horrible Towels have been all over the place, however there have been treasured few alternatives to swirl them. By the fourth quarter, 1000’s of these followers have been streaming for the exits. The Steelers have been held to 11 first downs, transformed two of 11 third downs and generated 221 complete yards.
Aaron Rodgers regarded each little bit of his 41 years. He was sacked thrice, intercepted twice, introduced down in the long run zone for a security and he completed with an anemic passer score of fifty.6.
The Steelers regarded nothing just like the group that pressured six turnovers towards Indianapolis the week earlier than and handed the Colts simply their second loss.
Within the waning moments, Keenan Allen caught a pop cross and ran seven yards to change into the Chargers’ all-time receptions chief (956), surpassing Corridor of Fame tight finish Antonio Gates.
Rodgers couldn’t set up something near an offensive rhythm, and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert took an all-too-familiar beating, enjoying behind an offensive line that has had 19 completely different mixtures this season.
Herbert was sacked 5 instances, every week after the Tennessee Titans received to him six instances.
Chargers linebacker Bud Dupree dances after sacking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)
The Steelers scored first with a 59-yard discipline objective by Chris Boswell within the opening quarter, however after that it was just about all Chargers. Cameron Dicker had three discipline targets, and Ladd McConkey and Kimani Vidal scored touchdowns.
Rodgers threw a 27-yard landing cross to Roman Wilson with 2 minutes 57 seconds remaining, however that was merely a beauty rating that made the sport seem a bit nearer.
Herbert took a success from behind within the second quarter, was sluggish to his ft and received each ankles taped on the sideline.
Based on NBC, he got here into the sport having been pressured a median of 17 instances per sport, greater than another quarterback this season, and having absorbed a median of 9 hits per sport, second-highest for an NFL quarterback within the final 20 seasons.
The Chargers have been coming off a win at Tennessee through which they misplaced left deal with Joe Alt, who suffered a season-ending ankle harm. The group traded for New Orleans offensive lineman Trevor Penning final week.
Regardless that they leaned right into a bunch of quick-developing cross performs to get the ball out of Herbert’s fingers rapidly, the Chargers nonetheless noticed their quarterback knocked down repeatedly. His passes have been batted down on the line of scrimmage too, with one winding up again in Herbert’s fingers for a reception (though that was worn out by a Pittsburgh penalty).
The Chargers’ protection received to Rodgers as properly, placing the primary factors on the scoreboard for the house group by sacking the longer term Corridor of Famer in the long run zone.
The Chargers subsequent head to Jacksonville. The Jaguars, who received off to a 4-1 begin, have misplaced three of 4.
Jacksonville is the location of a horrible reminiscence for the Chargers, who blew a 27-point lead there to undergo a one-point loss in a January 2023 playoff sport.
