Last week, the Steelers looked great as they forced six turnovers to defeat the previously one-loss Colts.
But on Sunday night in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh’s offense was a mess, as the Chargers were able to do enough on offense to come away with a 25-10 victory.
Aaron Rodgers struggled mightily against Los Angeles’ defense all game long, with a couple of critical mistakes leading to Chargers points. In the first quarter, Rodgers was strip-sacked by Khalil Mack in the end zone. While he was able to regain control of the loose ball, Mack still brought him down for a safety.
Then, late in the second quarter, Rodgers threw an interception in Pittsburgh territory to safety RJ Mickens, who returned the ball to the Pittsburgh 38. Several plays later, the Chargers were in the end zone with a 15-yard touchdown from Justin Herbert to Ladd McConkey.
The Chargers got back in the end zone early in the fourth quarter after the Steelers failed to score deep in opponent territory. After getting to the 10-yard line, Rodgers threw three straight incompletions for a turnover on downs. McConkey had the big play on the ensuing drive, delivering a 58-yard catch-and-run to set up Kimani Vidal’s 2-yard touchdown to make the score 22-3.
At one point in the fourth quarter, Rodgers was 9-of-21 passing for just 91 yards with an interception. He finished 16-of-31 for 161 yards with a touchdown and two picks. His second interception went off the hands of Calvin Austin and into the waiting arms of former Steelers corner Donte Jackson.
While Pittsburgh was able to generate pressure on quarterback Justin Herbert, the Chargers’ QB was able to deliver the ball effectively throughout the night. He ended the game an efficient 20-of-33 for 220 yards with a touchdown. McConkey led the team with 107 yards on four catches with a touchdown.
Keenan Allen became the Chargers’ all-time receptions leader during the contest, surpassing Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates.
But Los Angeles’ defense was the unit of the night. With five minutes remaining in the game, the Steelers had just eight first downs, 156 total yards, and were 0-of-9 on third down. In addition to Mack’s safety, the unit also had a pair of interceptions that led to points.
Pittsburgh’s first third-down conversion came with 2:57 left in the fourth quarter, as Rodgers connected with Roman Wilson for a 27-yard touchdown. But that was much too little, too late. The Steelers ended the game with 221 total yards, 11 first downs, and 2-of-11 on third down.
With the win, the Chargers are 7-3 in a competitive AFC. They also picked up what could be a key conference tiebreaker with a victory over the Steelers. They will be on the road to face Jacksonville next Sunday before a Week 12 bye.
Having fallen to 6-4, the Steelers will be at home to face the Bengals next Sunday afternoon.