Chargers @ Steelers
Final Score: Steelers 20, Chargers 10
Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)
This game started with four straight drives that ended in punts for a total of -1 yard, and everyone in the country wondered why they decided to switch this contest on. However, both teams came alive in the second quarter, and a series of ingenious play designs saw Justin Herbert and Justin Fields orchestrate long touchdown drives to kick this game into gear. Herbert connected with Quentin Johnston for a score before Fields answered back with a quarterback-keeper for a rushing touchdown. From that moment on, the game was a battle in the trenches, and that is what the Steelers wanted.
T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, and the Pittsburgh defense stepped it up in the second half, and the Chargers’ offensive line struggled once first-round pick Joe Alt left the game with an injury. The Chargers ended up with zero net yards in the second half, yikes! Increased pressure on Herbert paid off in the third quarter when Heyward broke through the line and landed a big hit on the Chargers quarterback, who immediately clutched at his already sore right ankle. It was a key moment in the game, as Herbert could not continue, and the momentum shifted to the Steelers. Fields backed up his defense with a terrific second-half showing, leading his team down the field on three separate scoring drives, including a 5-play, 84-yard touchdown drive that settled the contest in the fourth quarter.
Three Up
- Justin Fields – “standing in” for Russell Wilson, Fields has done everything his coach has asked of him and his team has needed from him as a starter. He is growing with each game and has earned the trust of his offense.
- Calvin Austin III – could this be the game that ignited the second-year receiver’s NFL career? Austin had a couple of key catches to move the sticks before his explosive touchdown play. An emerging fantasy option in Pittsburgh, maybe?
- Steelers DST – dominant again against a strong offensive line, this Steelers defense is one of the best fantasy options in recent history. Their 34 fantasy points (in Yahoo!) through three games with nine sacks is no joke.
Three Down
- Justin Herbert – nursing an ankle injury coming into the game, Herbert was forced out of this contest with a heavy hit to the same ankle. Already conservative in approach this season, this could mean he either misses time or plays it safe with the run game even more. Not great for fantasy managers.
- J.K. Dobbins – hardly involved in the second half and restricted to 2.9 yards per carry, Dobbins came back down to earth with a bang after balling out in the first two weeks. It was a tough matchup, and the game script made it worse.
- Quentin Johnston – tough to list Johnston here after hauling in his third touchdown of the season, but he only had two catches on two targets, and the outlook looks murky with Herbert potentially limited.
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback
Justin Herbert: 12/18, 125 Yards, TD, 2 Sacks | 1 Carry, o Yards
The Chargers are a different prospect under Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman, and Herbert isn’t seeing the passing attempt numbers he has had so far in his NFL career. However, that doesn’t mean it is not effective. Herbert started the game with nine-straight completions for 100 yards and a score as the Chargers also had success in the run game. Herbert peppered the middle of the field on slant routes and seam throws to his tight ends with five of his first eight throws going to the position. He was protected brilliantly by his offensive line in the first half, who stymied the Steelers pass rush with ease – Herbert was sacked for the first time midway through the third quarter. However, on the following drive, the Chargers’ quarterback was swamped on a broken play and took a heavy hit to his right ankle (which has been an issue in the past few weeks). Herbert showed visible signs of pain immediately. He stayed in for a play but could hardly put weight on his right foot, handing the ball off. He left the game for the third-and-long with Taylor Heinicke taking over. Herbert was reportedly seen leaving the stadium in a walking boot after the game.
Notes
- Executed a beautiful deep ball down the left sideline for sophomore sensation Quentin Johnston to give the Chargers the lead – the 27-yard connection was the third of the season for the quarterback and his much-maligned receiver, that is a relationship that is burgeoning in year two.
- Lucky not to get picked off on the final Chargers drive of the first half when forcing a ball over the middle and trying to work the ball into field goal territory. Patrick Queen read the route and got both hands on the ball, but his fall to the ground loosened the ball from his hands.
Taylor Heinicke: 2/2, 24 Yards, 3 Sacks
Stepping in for Herbert in the fourth quarter, Heinicke completed just two passes but also took three sacks in just two series as he held onto the ball too long and got demolished by the Steelers pass rush. Heinicke would have an extremely limited upside as a waiver add if Herbert is to miss time.
Running Back
J.K. Dobbins: 15 Carries, 44 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 10 Yards
The resurgent running back never got going in this game after posting back-to-back 130-yard-plus games on the ground. The Chargers found no room to run against an elite Steelers defensive front, and despite Dobbins running hard, he could not work out of strong first contact between the numbers. His longest run, a 13-yard gain, was an outside zone run in the first quarter on the Chargers’ only touchdown drive. He was bottled up from that point on and touched the ball five times for just five yards in the second half. He is still the focal point of this offense and could carry a heavier workload going forward. Running mate Gus Edwards had just three touches and was hardly involved at all. This is Dobbins’ backfield.
Gus Edwards: 3 Carries, 9 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Quentin Johnson: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 44 Yards, TD
The good news for fantasy managers is that Johnston survived an offensive disaster from a fantasy point of view with a walk-in score early in the game thanks to a perfect play call and pass. The bad news is that it was one of only two catches on just two targets in a game in which Herbert left with an injury. He was a non-factor without Herbert in the fourth quarter and remains a risky play due to the limited volume he is seeing in the passing game. Still, there is an added step in his demeanor this season after a rough rookie year, and the talented wideout continues to win on routes and show good handling.
wide open
📺 | @nfloncbs pic.twitter.com/6eQQmsmU4e
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) September 22, 2024
Ladd McConkey: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 44 Yards
The rookie has looked good visually even if the stat sheet hasn’t reflected his performances. McConkey looked shifty in the first half and made two 13-yard catches on back-to-back scoring drives that showed his effectiveness out of the slot. Like the rest of the receiving corps, however, he was almost invisible in the second half and only a nice 18-yard grab over the middle from Heinicke late in the game saved his fantasy score.
Will Dissly: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 19 Yards
There is work to be hard for the tight ends in this offense and former Seahawk Will Dissly found space working between numbers with Herbert in the first half. All his three catches were in the middle of the field but he wasn’t targeted in the second half.
Simi Fehoko: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 17 Yards
The former Cowboys wide receiver saw an increase in targets in this game after an early 17-yard catch-and-run. A fifth-round pick back in 2021, Simi Fehoko spent time on the practice squad last year but has seen the field as the third wideout option to start this year. He failed to haul in his other targets.
Hayden Hurst: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards
The former Bengals tight end had minimal first half involvement before not seeing a target in the second half. Hurst has only five catches through three games for 53 yards and isn’t establishing himself as a stand out.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback
Justin Fields: 25/32, 245 Yards, TD, INT, 2 Sacks | 6 Carries, 6 Yards, TD
The evolution of Fields in Pittsburgh is something to watch, and could be one of the football stories of the season so far. I’ve always been a Fields believer and his growing maturity with the football and ability to make plays with his legs have been a huge reason why the Steelers have been a pleasant surprise so far in 2024. The quarterback was in full control of the offense on a methodical 13-play, 70-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter to bring Pittsburgh level – he completed short passes to six different receivers before running the ball in himself from the Chargers 5-yard line.
Fields led the offense down the field twice in the third quarter for field goals before exploding in the fourth quarter by delivering a beautiful throw over the middle to hit Calvin Austin III in stride, the third year wideout finding room out of the slot and taking the pass 55 yards to the house.
.@justnfields ➡️ @CalvinAustinIII for the 55-yard TD 🙌
📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/COxKRnr6Mc pic.twitter.com/2dF7ZEPifv
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 22, 2024
Notes
- Early offensive line struggles saw Fields pressured heavily on the first two drives of the game, and a big seven-yard sack from Khalil Mack was more due to a lack of protection than Fields staying in the pocket for too long.
- Made two great throws just prior to half time as the Steelers aimed to tie the game going into the half – the first was a 27-yard sideline dime to Pickens before a dart down the middle to Pat Freiermuth was right on his hands but the big tight end could not hold on to the pass.
- One indiscretion was a third quarter interception where Fields threw a sharp pass to Patterson and the ball bounced up off his leg and was tipped a couple of times before landing in the arms of the Chargers defense.
Running Back
Najee Harris: 18 Carries, 70 Yards | 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 16 Yards
In a solid, workmanlike performance Najee Harris logged the most touches in any game so far this season with 23 and mustered 86 scrimmage yards with a nice PPR bump of five catches. In truth, it was tough slogging most of the day for Harris until a late 21-yard rush down to the 1-yard line out of the two-minute warning boosted his production. Harris was clearly striving for the line but by falling short it allowed the Steelers to kneel out the rest of the clock and win the game. In any other situation Harris would have seen an additional carry to punch to ball in for a score. Harris has shrugged off any competition from his colleagues in the running back room to lead this offense on the ground through the first three games. Despite plenty of volume it has been the same old story for Harris who has yet to find the end zone and has averaged 3.8 yards per carry so far this season.
Jaylen Warren: 3 Carries, 5 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, -4 Yards
It was reported after the game that Jaylen Warren was “pulled” from this contest after feeling discomfort when running early in the first half. This wasn’t evident during the game but the complementary back saw minimal involvement despite 11 touches in Week 2. He ceded work to veteran utility man Cordarrelle Patterson, who was trusted on a couple of short yardage situations and shared targets out of the backfield with Harris
Cordarrelle Patterson: 4 Carries, 33 Yards | 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 15 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Calvin Austin III: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 95 Yards, TD
With the Steelers wide receiver room short on experienced talent there was always going to be a question of who could step up and be a playmaker in this offense. Calvin Austin III looks to be the one making a case right now. After catching just one pass in each of the first two games, Austin popped up in a couple of big spots to make catches and move the sticks for his quarterback. On the opening drive of the second half, Austin burned his man in the middle of the field and connected with Fields for a 25-yard gain that took Pittsburgh into the red zone. He saw a target in the back of the end zone but Fields threw wide of the mark. His biggest moment came on a perfectly threaded slant pass with just seven minute left in the game – Austin burned his marker and sprinted away for a 55-yard touchdown showing off his wheels. Austin has an opportunity to work his way into fantasy relevance as a field-stretcher.
George Pickens: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 57 Yards
If there is one receiver who should not be judged by his fantasy production so far it is George Pickens, who has been electric on film and has offered a reliable option to Fields by constantly winning on his outside routes. The Steelers premier receiver was marshalled all day by the Chargers’ best cornerback, Samuel Asante Jr., but still managed to haul in five of his seven targets. The only blemish was a dropped pass on third down across the middle that bounced out of his hands under heavy pressure from Asante Jr. Pickens is still without a score through three weeks and only caught five touchdowns in 2023. His skills are limited by his opportunity.
Pat Freiermuth: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 33 Yards
After seeing four targets in each of the Steelers’ first two games, the productive tight end was integral in the offense once again as he worked between the numbers and showed safe hands for his quarterback. Working for extra yards and breaking tacklers, Freiermuth showed his toughness and play-making ability. He was popped in the helmet by Derwin James on a 15-yard catch-and-run which added another 15 yards by penalty on a scoring drive that gave the Steelers a fourth quarter lead.
Scotty Miller: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 31 Yards
The former Tampa Bay receiver popped up with a key grab in the first half on a swing pass from Fields in which Scotty Miller grabbed outside and away from the defensive back and took for a nice gain into the Chargers red zone.
Connor Heyward: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards