The Chargers are officially 7-3 after beating the Steelers, 25-10, on Sunday Night Football.
Here are a few key takeaways from the game.
Defensive stand
The Chargers’ defense nearly completed nine consecutive quarters without allowing a touchdown until Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson got into the end zone with a garbage time score with 2:57 to go in the game. LA held Aaron Rodgers to a 51.6% completion percentage and just 161 yards, intercepted him twice, and limited running back Jaylen Warren in the run game despite struggling on the ground over the last few weeks. The defense is beginning to get healthier with the return of defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand, who had a noticeable impact on Sunday, which positions the Chargers well going forward.
Kimani Vidal proves LA right
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman stuck with the run game despite some early struggles, giving Vidal 25 chances that the second-year man turned into 95 yards and a touchdown. While he fell just short of becoming LA’s first running back with three 100-yard games in a season since Melvin Gordon in 2018, Vidal was consistent all night and found a better rhythm between the tackles than he did last week against the Titans. The Chargers did not trade for a running back despite heavy rumors from around the league before Tuesday’s trade deadline, and Vidal paid for that choice with his play on Sunday night.
Pass rush ramping up
Hand’s return also helped out the pass rush, which seemed to be in the face of Rodgers in critical moments constantly. Hand and Tuli Tuipulotu led the team with 3 pressures each, per PFF’s live charting, while Khalil Mack chipped in with 2 more, including his strip sack of Rodgers that resulted in a first quarter safety. Mack, Tuipulotu, and Odafe Oweh had success on inside moves against Steelers left tackle Broderick Jones all night, hemming Rodgers into the pocket before chasing him down as he tried to step up.
Quick game efficacy
After Justin Herbert got hit repeatedly in the first half, enough so that he had to have both ankles taped after a sack from Nick Herbig that looked like a potential hip drop tackle, the Chargers went to a lot more quick game in the second half. Quentin Johnston, in particular, did well avoiding tacklers and making plays after the catch, turning 5 catches into 42 yards to set LA up with easier late-down situations. Once Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey started cheating towards the line of scrimmage to defend that, the Chargers went over the top, hitting Ladd McConkey for a 58-yard crossing route that Herbert fit into a pinhole-sized window.
Special teams shows up
The Chargers entered the week as the worst special teams unit in the league, allowing the highest average return yardage on kickoff and punt coverage. After a few shaky punts to open the game by JK Scott, however, LA largely kept Steelers returner Ke’Shawn Williams under control. He was able to return 2 punts for only 11 yards and muffed one in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Deane Leonard returning from IR to play gunner made a huge difference. Scott averaged 43.8 yards per punt despite the two short ones and put 3 inside the 20, while kicker Cameron Dicker made a 59-yarder and two other field goals to outpace Chris Boswell, who made a 59-yarder but missed a 45-yarder wide right.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: 5 takeaways from Chargers’ victory over Steelers in Week 10
Reporting by Alex Katson, Chargers Wire / Chargers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
