7 overreactions from the Steelers’ 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers

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Takeaways, overreactions, and random musings from the Steelers’ home opener.

3-0. Maybe it wasn’t all that surprising, but ahead of the season, it would’ve been. Despite countless early-season disappointments and question marks, the Steelers are off to one of the hottest starts in the league.

As always, there are plenty of takeaways to be had:

1. Is Justin Fields the future?

Justin Fields found the middle of the field.

It was the missing piece to what’s been a stagnant Steelers passing offense up to this point. And while the dam still hasn’t broken, a spillway or two has definitely been opened.

Fields went 25/32 for 245 yards, a touchdown, and an interception on Sunday. He added six yards and another score on the ground. The numbers were his best by far this season, but more impressive was how he distributed the ball. In a stark contrast to past weeks, a number of faces were successfully involved in the passing game, with four pass-catchers over 30 yards (not a super high bar but it is for the Steelers!).

With the run game all but dead for the vast majority of the game and the wide receiver room decimated with injury, the Steelers needed Fields to step up and win them the game. And he delivered.

Was Fields elite? No. But Sunday was the first time in a while where the Steelers won their game because of the quarterback position, not in spite of it. Pittsburgh is now 3-0 with an exciting signal-caller who’s looked better every week.

Once again, the Steelers shot themselves in the foot a number of times against LA, but you can finally see a competent offense starting to form. It might not be the wisest to switch quarterbacks and jeopardize that development. Against the Chargers, Fields seemed more confident (and the Steelers seemed more confident in him) than ever before.

Is Justin Fields the future? If you’re talking beyond the 2024 season, I still need to see a lot more. But if you mean this year even after Russell Wilson is healthy, then yeah, I’m officially on board with naming Fields the QB1 going forward. I’m in favor of staying with the hot hand, and against the Chargers, Fields finally heated up.

2. The injury bug

Pittsburgh is extremely snakebitten with injuries. Against the Chargers, they were without two starting offensive linemen and paper thin and wide receiver and cornerback. To add to the list, talented pass-rusher Alex Highsmith was ruled out ahead of the second half with a groin injury. Running back Jaylen Warren still doesn’t look 100% and left early.

But the Chargers were equally hobbled. Justin Herbert had no mobility left in his ankle even before he left the game with injury, and Joey Bosa was ruled out after just a few snaps. Left tackle Rashawn Slater left early as well, and without Joshua Palmer, LA’s receiver corps were about as thin as Pittsburgh’s.

The point is, as impressive as the Steelers’ 3-0 start has been, and despite all the injuries they’ve overcome, the Chargers weren’t exactly as strong of a matchup as they looked heading into Week 3. Of course, the Steelers would’ve won by three scores if not for a showing of sportsmanship late — they won with enough style points to make this a quality victory.

The Chargers win was certainly encouraging. In the second half, the Steelers dominated in a way they haven’t in a while. But there are still plenty of problems to fix, and some big injuries to monitor if the Steelers want to compete with the AFC’s best later this season. The team is good, but they’re still closer to the ill-fated 11-0 squad in 2020 than the playoff contenders they want to be. Pittsburgh is on the right track, but the team needs to keep their foot on the gas.

3. More help for Fields

Remember the Steelers’ WR2 problem? It’s still there, but it doesn’t look quite as bad as it did before. With Van Jefferson out for most of the game, the Steelers had to lean on Calvin Austin III and Scotty Miller opposite George Pickens. The former recorded four catches for 95 yards and a score. The latter had two catches for 31 yards, including a catch and run on an out route that breathed life into the Steeler offense.

Pat Freiermuth had a solid day with four catches for 33 yards, and would’ve had more if not for a tough drop on a well-placed seam ball from Fields and a 20-yard catch-and-run nullified by an illegal formation penalty.

The moral of the story isn’t that the Steelers pass-catching room is suddenly great, but it proved that it was deep enough to be serviceable even when star George Pickens isn’t having a monster game (held to 57 yards on Sunday). When Fields is dealing, the speed of Miller and Austin goes from a number to an actual asset on offense.

A better game from Pickens and Freiermuth, plus Roman Wilson in the lineup, and this offense could have what it takes to put up good numbers in the passing game. It’s an encouraging sign, but don’t take it the wrong way. General manager Omar Khan still needs to be working the phones for a better WR2 ahead of the trade deadline. Remember, keep the foot on the gas.

4. Cordarrelle Patterson is better than you think

Newly-signed Steeler Cordarrelle Patterson has drawn a lot of ire from Steeler fans for simply existing so far this season. He hasn’t performed poorly, but every snap he’s taken from fan-favorite Jaylen Warren has been seen as a negative play.

But Warren’s summer injury is lingering longer than we thought. Arthur Smith doesn’t have an aversion towards playing one of the NFL’s most tough and explosive running backs — Warren’s five rushing yards on Sunday were the symptom of a knee issue, not because he’s in Smith’s doghouse. Tomlin confirmed as much later in the day.

Patterson responded with a stretch of powerful runs late in the game, bursting through the Chargers defense to run out the clock. His 8.2 yards per carry on four rushes were exactly what the Steelers needed. Even once Warren returns, having another big, capable back besides Najee Harris is a great situation for the run-heavy Pittsburgh offense. Is a healthy Warren better than Patterson? Certainly. But it never hurts to have a solid third option.

Patterson also brings some value as a former wide receiver. He’s not the threat he used to be, but he recorded three catches for 15 yards with the Steelers down Van Jefferson and Roman Wilson. He’s been a great signing as a cheap, veteran utility player who’s covered well for the Steelers’ rash of offensive injuries.

5. Pittsburgh is a team of closers

The Steelers second-half shutdown of the Chargers was masterful. You’ve probably seen the stat before, but if not: Pittsburgh out-gained the Chargers with 255 yards to -5 in the second half. That’s a dominant performance.

It was a team effort, but let’s highlight the Steelers pass-rush in particular, which recorded five sacks on the afternoon — even with Alex Highsmith missing much of the game. Three of those sacks came on the last two LA drives, suffocating any chances of a Chargers comeback. T.J. Watt is inevitable. Cam Heyward is playing like a much younger man. Nick Herbig is a rising star. What a group.

The Steelers have allowed just six points in the second half all year — this is a defense that can finish out games. In the past, it’s felt like they’d always get gassed late, but in 2024, Pittsburgh just heats up in the final minutes. It’s a trait that will serve the Steelers well later this season.

6. Run stuffers

The Steelers pass rush has gotten most of the praise leaving Week 3, and it’s easy to see why, but the real story is just how well Pittsburgh shut down the Chargers’ rushing attack. LA wasn’t just good on the ground to start the year — they were second-best in the NFL with 197.5 rushing yards per game entering Week 3. J.K. Dobbins was the NFL’s leading rusher and the most efficient in the league.

Pittsburgh held him to 44 yards on Sunday.

As a team, the Chargers were held to just 61 rushing yards, a solid 137.5 less than their season average. Teryl Austin rarely gets a lot of credit from the Steelers fan base, but in this case, he deserves some for just how effective the Steelers were in shutting down the Chargers’ primary mode of offense.

We’ve talked plenty about the Pittsburgh D-line, so we’ll shift the focus to the linebackers, who were largely excellent in containing Dobbins. I’ve been critical of Patrick Queen over the last two weeks, but on Sunday, his speed, physicality, and football IQ really popped off the screen. His big hit to open the game set the tone early, and the Pittsburgh defense never looked back. Elandon Roberts and Payton Wilson also had some standout plays.

Unsurprisingly, the front seven was elite on Sunday. The secondary made plays, but there are still some question marks there.

I wrote in Wednesday’s Read & React that the Steelers’ key to victory would be shutting down the Chargers run game and forcing LA’s receiving corps to win the game. Pittsburgh’s defense did exactly that, but Justin Herbert and his wideouts diced up the Steelers secondary early. Selling out against the run comes at a cost.

Herbert is one of the better passers Pittsburgh will face this year, but Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston aren’t exactly one of the NFL’s top receiving duos. It was largely a day of positives for the Pittsburgh defense, but they’ll still have some work to do before they go up against passing attacks like the Bengals’ late in the season.

7. Odds and ends

• For yet another week, Pittsburgh’s defensive backs deserve credit for just how physical they’ve been in run support. It’s a big part of the team’s success this season, and another nod to the defensive culture under Austin.
• I’m not ready to hop on the Nick-Herbig-is-better-than-Alex-Highsmith train after just one game, but there’s no denying that the Steelers’ OLB3 looks an awful lot like an OLB2 talent. Herbig’s speed rush is something truly special, and he deserves more snaps as the season goes on. Still, his freshness is part of what makes his game so effective, and his smaller frame is a concern. Herbig is very, very good, but don’t get too carried away with the hype.
• It’s hard to say for sure without a look at the All-22, but Broderick Jones held his own on Sunday after a rough start. A much-needed bounce back performance.
• Mason McCormick might’ve just won the backup left guard job over Spencer Anderson. The run game was noticeably better with No. 66 on the field. However, it might not matter at all as Isaac Seumalo seems close to a return. A good problem to have if so.
• It was good to see that the Steelers have something in McCormick. But the rotating O-line gimmick has to stop. Figure this stuff out in practice, please.
• James Pierre made a noticeably large improvement in the Steelers’ punt coverage. It’s good to have a talented gunner once again.
• Another week, another snap gaffe between Fields and center Zach Frazier. It’s a lingering issue that needs to be fixed.
• Arthur Smith is great and all but the pitch plays to Najee Harris really need to stop or be drastically improved.
• Everyone has talked about the Steelers winning despite losing the turnover battle, but the more important battle Sunday was the penalty one. For the first time in a while, the Steelers had a good afternoon with the zebras, with just three penalties for 15 yards compared to the Chargers’ seven for 69. That’s a difference maker.
• Russell Wilson seems like a good guy but you have to wonder how he’ll react if the Steelers do decide to roll with Fields going forward. Wilson will be disappointed and will have every right to be, but will there be actual drama?

Next week, the Steelers hope to move to 4-0 as they prepare to take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 29.

What are your takeaways from Steelers vs. Chargers? Agree/disagree with the ones above? Join our Behind The Steel Curtain community and let us know in the comments!