January 15, 1995, is a day that lives in infamy for Steelers fans who remembered what might be the worst loss in the franchise’s rich history.
Bill Cowher has gone on record saying Pittsburgh’s 17-13 loss to the Chargers that day was the worst defeat during his 15 years as the Steelers’ coach. A massive favorite, the Steelers watched the Chargers overcome a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to steal what appeared to be a sure trip to the Super Bowl for the black and gold.
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Sunday night has all the makings of another highly-competitive game between these two teams. The Steelers will head to Los Angeles with a 5-3 record after dispatching the Colts last week in Pittsburgh. At 6-3, the Chargers are looking to keep pace with the Broncos who moved to 8-2 with a victory over the Las Vegas Raiders Thursday night. Plus the Chargers still have to visit Kansas City to face a rejuvenated Chiefs team.
Where to watch Steelers vs. Chargers live
- When: Sunday, Nov. 9 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
- Where: SoFi Stadium — Inglewood, California
- TV: NBC | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Odds: Chargers -3; O/U 44.5 (via FanDuel)
Steelers vs. Chargers: Need to know
- Recent rematch. These teams faced each other a little over a year ago in Pittsburgh. The Steelers won that game, 20-10, on the strength of a defense that held the Chargers to just 10 first downs and 166 total yards. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged this week that his team faced a physically compromised Justin Herbert that day, as Herbert played through a considerable ankle injury for most of the game before exiting the contest in the second half.
- Key injury. The Chargers recently lost another notable player when starting offensive tackle Joe Alt suffered a season-ending ankle injury during last week’s win over the Titans. Los Angeles is now without both of its starting offensive tackles after losing Rashawn Slater to a season-ending injury back in August.
- New Steelers secondary. Tomlin said this week that Jalen Ramsey will be exclusively at free safety while playing alongside new starting strong safety Kyle Dugger. Dugger played in all but one of the Steelers’ defensive snaps last week despite joining the team just days before Pittsburgh’s win over the Colts.
- Big game for Warren? Pittsburgh struggled to run the ball vs. the Colts, but on Sunday, they’ll be facing a Chargers defense that is 27th in the NFL in average yards-per-carry allowing 4.9 yards. This could mean good things for Jaylen Warren, who is three weeks removed from his lone 100-yard rushing performance this season.
- Red zone showdown. It’ll be interesting to see which units steps up when Pittsburgh’s offense enters the red zone against Los Angeles’ defense. Led by Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers’ offense is seventh in the NFL in red zone efficiency this season. On Sunday night, they’ll face a Chargers defense that is the fourth-best in the league inside their own 20-yard-line.
Steelers vs. Chargers prediction, pick
A pretty evenly matched game, the Steelers do have one statistical advantage that may prove to be a big key in the game. Pittsburgh’s defense, seventh in the NFL in red zone efficiency, will face a Chargers offense that is just 26th in the NFL in terms of scoring touchdowns inside the opponents’ 20-yard-line. If T.J. Watt and the rest of Pittsburgh’s defense can force the Chargers to settle for field goals, it would go a long way towards a possible upset. Pick: Steelers +3; Over 44.5