The reigning Super Bowl champions are reeling, and there seems to be no end in sight as Pittsburgh (-6.5) hosts a San Diego Chargers team that will grow or go home. Literally.
The Chargers are off to a 2-1 start thanks mainly to Philip Rivers and, more specifically, his right arm. With just under 1,000 passing yards through the first three games of the season, Rivers has shouldered most of the offensive responsibility, accounting for 86% of the total offense, as well as having 1 of San Diego’s 3 rushing touchdowns this year. . Needless to say, when Rivers is active (and has been lately), the Chargers are a tough team to beat.
Meanwhile, all has not gone smoothly in the Steeler nation. After losing a hard-fought game in the final seconds to Chicago, Pittsburgh once again failed to put together a solid 60-minute effort, giving up 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to move within 1-2 with a loss at Cincinnati. For a team known for its defensive supremacy, this Steelers team has shown little to no resemblance to the swagger they carried during their Super Bowl run just a year ago.
Which brings us to Sunday in the town of Steeler. What makes this match so compelling is the fact that one of these teams will be forced to live up to their respective chances. While San Diego has been effortlessly racking up yards, they’ve only converted one touchdown in 11 trips to the red zone due mainly in part to their complete lack of a running game, as Ladanian Tomlinson has been held back with another injury sustained on the week. . 1. On the other hand, Pittsburgh has been less focused on finishing drives and more concerned about its inability to close out games. In their two losses, the Steelers have lost by a total of 6 points, but have been outscored in the fourth quarter a combined 24-0.
Something has to give, whether it’s an offense that stumbles or a defense that fades. At first glance, San Diego appears to have an advantage. In addition to his powerful passing, running back Darren Sproles has shown glimpses of being a solid replacement for Tomlinson despite the fact that most of his yardage comes from kick returns. If he can lure the defense in with a few consecutive positive runs, San Diego will be poised to establish a balanced offense with limitless potential.
The only discrepancy with this is the fact that they will play Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh. Now, I’ve never been one to put much stock in home-field advantage, but this kind of defensive inefficiency isn’t something the Steeler faithful allow to happen under him. Look out for Roethlisberger, the newly revived corpse of Willie Parker, and a ton of terrible towels to give the defense the wiggle room it needs to disembowel a tight one on Sunday night. It won’t be pretty, but it will do the job. Stay classy, San Diego.
Final score: 23 – 21 Pittsburgh