Pittsburgh Steelers @ Los Angeles Chargers
Final Score: Chargers 25, Steelers 10
Writer: Brett Ford (@FadeThatMan)
On Sunday night, the Los Angeles Chargers hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in game between playoff hopefuls. The Steelers entered the weekend at 5-3, hoping to maintain a comfortable lead over the surging Ravens in the AFC North while the Chargers were seeking their third straight victory as they try to chase down an AFC West crown. In a game of missed opportunities, the Chargers made the least mistakes and protected their quarterback just enough (barely) to hold off the Steelers and earn the victory. Meanwhile, the Steelers made enough mistakes to let the game result — and then contention — slip away. Let’s dig in.
Three Up
- Ladd McConkey — He’s all the way back to being a top receiving option in this offense.
- Kimani Vidal — Ran hard and followed his blocks, decisive running and good surge through the hole.
- Jaylen Warren — The only part of the Steelers’ offense that looked dangerous.
Three Down
- Aaron Rodgers — Constantly under duress and uncomfortable, a rough night for the Steelers as a whole.
- DK Metcalf — Saw heavy coverage and was basically schemed out of the game.
- Oronde Gadsden II — Looked out of sync with Justin Herbert early and then got hurt in the second half.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers: 16/31, 161 yards, TD, 2 INTs
Aaron Rodgers was consistently uncomfortable in the pocket and struggled to deliver the ball on time and on target. He was pressured in the pocket on nearly every dropback and took three sacks. His abysmal 50.6 QBR is indicative of the game that he played on Sunday night. His first interception was just an overthrow, missing DK Metcalf high and directly into the arms of the waiting safety. His second pick was not his fault as he hit the receiver right in the hands, but saw it squirt through into the arms of the waiting Charger.
Running Back
Jaylen Warren: 14 carries, 70 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 21 yards
Easily the most explosive play on the field for the Steelers — probably for either team. Jaylen Warren looked dynamic each time he touched the ball and very rarely was tackled by the first defender to reach him. The problem was that the second and third defender rallied to him so quickly on several plays that he missed out on an even bigger night.
Kenneth Gainwell: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 4 yards
Kaleb Johnson: 2 Carries, 3 Yards
Kaleb Johnson was actually involved in this game, though it was extremely limited. He got a couple of carries and ran straight ahead for modest gains. It’s progress for the rookie. But not enough to even be close to fantasy relevant.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
DK Metcalf: 7 Targets, 3 Receptions, 35 Yards
DK Metcalf was bracketed regularly and blanketed on every passing down, battling through double teams as the Chargers decided to force someone else to beat them. The Chargers were extremely physical with Metcalf and earned the benefit of refs that let both teams play a little bit in the secondary. The Steelers’ offense as a whole has been out of sync recently, and Metcalf has sunk in production recently as well.
Jonnu Smith: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Pat Freiermuth: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 33 Yards
Darnell Washington: 1 Target, 1 Receptions, 15 Yards
Pat Freiermuth was the only tight end that made any sort of plays on Sunday night as Rodgers’ throws fell mostly incomplete or were checked down to the running back. An ugly game all around for the Steelers meant that these guys were all left picking at the scraps.
Roman Wilson: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 35 Yards, TD
Roman Wilson felt like an odd man out on the offense for most of the game, but stepped up in the fourth quarter with the Steelers chasing the game. Wilson caught a quick slant as the Chargers’ corners got hung up in the switch coverage, and took the ball to the house for a long score.
Calvin Austin: 7 Targets, 2 Reception, 14 Yards
Calvin Austin made a bad mistake late in the game, letting a zipped pass go right through his hands and into the mitts of a Chargers defender. Unfortunately, that was the highlight from this game that we’ll remember. Austin did very little else, certainly nothing remarkable.
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback
Justin Herbert: 20/33, 220 Yards, TD | 5 Carries, 19 Yards
Justin Herbert started slow, missing on a handful of first-half throws (some easier than others) before settling in for the second half. Despite subtle inaccuracies on a few throws early on, he looked like an All-Pro in the second half, leading his offense down the field for what would have been three consecutive drives if Cameron Dicker hadn’t missed a field goal. Herbert’s tightest window came on a reception by Ladd McConkey, sneaking the ball in to his speedy receiver on a crossing route for a huge gain after the catch.
The ball placement here from #Chargers QB Justin Herbert is IMPECCABLE: pic.twitter.com/t6waHgvPXW
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) November 10, 2025
Running Back
Kimani Vidal: 25 Carries, 95 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 13 Yards
Kimani Vidal ran HARD, looking like a hot knife through black-and-gold butter on a handful of chunk plays. Now with two big games out of his last three, Vidal is making a case to remain the guy in this backfield even after Omarion Hampton returns from IR (whenever that may be).
Jaret Patterson: 1 Carry, 1 Yard
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Quentin Johnston: 10 Targets, 5 Receptions, 42 Yards
In what was a war of attrition, it felt like Quentin Johnston left a lot of meat on the proverbial bone. It seemed like a lot of passes hit him in the hands and he caught about half of them. On the plays when he did catch the ball, Johnston looked like an explosive playmaker with some shifty moves to get past tacklers. With a team-high 10 targets, Johnston remains a top option in this offense, firmly surpassing Old Man Allen on the pecking order.
Ladd McConkey: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 107 Yards, TD
Ladd McConkey has quietly turned his season around, pulling in his fourth touchdown in his last six games. From the 15-yard line, McConkey left the nickel back in the dust with a double move, pulling in a red-zone pass in acres of space for the first touchdown of the game. McConkey dropped a couple of passes that hit him in the hands, too. But it felt less habitual than what we’ve seen from QJ. After a slow start to the season, it’s clear that McConkey is still very much ingrained to the fabric of the Chargers’ offense and has the trust of his quarterback. Missing time in the preseason probably led to slow development of chemistry with Herbert this season. He’s back, baby. Saddle up and ride McConkey to the fantasy football playoffs.
Ladd McConkey out here collecting ankles in primetime.
Herbert 》 Ladd #BoltUp
— The Goal Line Grind (@theGLgrind) November 10, 2025
Keenan Allen: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 19 Yards
Pursuing the great Antonio Gates for most receptions in Chargers history, Keenan Allen entered the game needing just two catches to become the Chargers’ all-time leader in receptions. It took him until the second half to get involved. On the final drive of the game, Allen caught his second pass of the game, a pop pass to top the all-time Chargers great, who was in attendance.
Oronde Gadsden II: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 13 Yards
Oronde Gadsden II and Herbert struggled to connect on a couple of passes in the first half, and it felt like their timing was just a shade off — either disrupted by the Steelers’ pass rush or just a lack of chemistry on some of his routes. In the third quarter, Gadsden headed to the locker room with an apparent knee injury. Monitor his status heading into Week 11.
Tre’ Harris: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 4 Yards