As we’ve been doing for many years now, we break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual player standpoint. Like last year, Josh Carney and I will cover the opposing team’s offense. I will focus on the scheme, Josh on the players.
Today, our scouting report on the Los Angeles Chargers’ offense against the Steelers in Week 10.
Alex’s Scheme Report
Chargers’ Run Game
The bread and butter of Los Angeles’ offense. The team ranks top 10 in rushing yards per game at 124 with a strong 4.8 YPC that comes in eighth. Finding the end zone on the ground, however, has been a problem. Just four of them all season, tied for 27th entering Week 10.
Injuries have reshaped the Chargers’ backfield. Ex-Steeler Najee Harris and rookie Omarion Hampton won’t play in this game. Instead, Kimani Vidal will serve as the lead back after beginning the year on the practice squad. Josh will talk about him more below, but Vidal is built like and runs similar to Jaylen Warren. He has played over 70 percent of the snaps the last two weeks with 35 rushing attempts during that span. On the season, he’s carried the ball 66 times for 309 yards and one touchdown. Backup RB Jaret Patterson is averaging about 15 snaps per game as the No. 2.
The other rushing threat to consider is QB Justin Herbert. He’s rushing and running more than ever before. His 305 rushing yards are literally 1 yard behind his season career high, a record he’ll smash this season. In fact, Herbert leads all NFL quarterbacks in rushing yards entering the week. He’s rushed for at least 30 yards in six of nine games this year.
As a unit, the Chargers have 27 rushes of 10 or more yards. That’s tied for 10th in the NFL.
Schematically, the offense embodies head coach Jim Harbaugh’s philosophy. Pro style and old school with multiple tight ends and a fullback. I-formation offense straight out of 1999. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman shares a similar mindset, the former Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator. Fewer designed QB runs compared to Lamar Jackson but similar system otherwise.
Scott Matlock, a former defensive lineman wearing No. 44, is playing more than 22 snaps per game. Blocking tight end Tucker Fisk, No. 42, is averaging over 24. Unlike Arthur Smith’s system, this is about playing power football between the tackles. These guys don’t often split out or get involved in the passing game.
The Chargers run power/gap as much as anyone. Typically, the left guard pulls including to the boundary. A staple concept. Examples below.
Along with good ‘ol lead runs up the middle. They’ll mix it up with Wham blocks on the 3-tech, especially early in the game to plant that seed in the d-lineman’s head to slow him down. Examples of both.
Lots of work under center in this offense.
Some other stats. The Chargers rank 17th in scoring offense at 23.9 points per game. But they’ve scored 24 or more in each of the last four and seven of their nine games. The offense has been fairly consistent. Situationally, the Steelers are facing another elite third-down offense. Los Angeles enters Week 10 as No. 1 in the NFL on third down, converting 49.2 percent of the time. Its red-zone offense has been much worse, 26th at just 50 percent.
The Chargers are minus-four in turnover differential. That’s tied-22nd in the NFL. Their offense has turned it over 12 times this season, including at least one in each of the last eight games.
Chargers’ Pass Game
Still rocking with Justin Herbert, who lasted only a half last season against Pittsburgh before bowing out of the game with an injury. He’s completing 67.7 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He has a 6.3 ANY/A.
Compared to last year, his numbers are down. His ANY/A is 1 yard lower. His interception rate is four times higher than 2024, and he’s thrown an interception in six of his last seven games. He’s also been sacked 28 times this year. What’s more notable is what happened in Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans. Herbert was sacked six times in that game. All six came after star left tackle Joe Alt went down with a season-ending ankle injury. The numbers with Alt out of the lineup — he was hurt earlier this year too and Herbert was sacked eight times in a three-game span — are much worse.
He does have a talented group of pass catchers in Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Keenan Allen, and rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II. Allen returns and is leading the team with 50 receptions for 520 yards and four scores. McConkey has a 47/524/3 line, Johnston 32/420/6, and Gadsden 32/453/2. Gadsden has come on strong with 68-plus yards in each of his last four games that account for 377 of his yards on the season. He’s also scored twice.
It comes as no surprise to see Allen remain a trusty third-down target. His 19 receptions and 17 first downs on third down lead the NFL and are three more in each category than second place. Granted, the Chargers have yet to have a bye and benefit from the extra game but still, Allen is a chain mover.
Situationally, the Chargers have completed 30 passes of 20 or more yards. That’s tied for fifth in the NFL.
Los Angeles is a heavy ‘P/10’ play-action team. Like to use play-action on first down, especially the first play of the drive. Two-man routes and over/crossers, especially to McConkey.
The Chargers like to align 2×2 and mirror concepts to each side.
And largely, the Chargers like to reduce the splits of their receivers, especially on third and short/medium, to help open up the route tree for the receivers. Makes sense with crafty route runners like Allen and McConkey to have the whole tree open that can’t be taken away by split and cornerback leverage.
Lastly, alert for this Flood concept, a post/wheel/flat the Chargers have hit for big plays throughout the year. See it on 1st and 10 or 2nd and long from their own side of the field.
Josh’s Individual Report
It’s Chargers week, Steelers fans!
With it comes a tough road trip to the West Coast as Steelers take on the Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday Night Football.
The Chargers are banged up along the offensive line and will be without Joe Alt after losing Rashawn Slater earlier in the season. Down two starting tackles against the Steelers’ pass rush seems like a really tough ask.
But the Chargers have an elite quarterback with dual-threat capabilities to make it work.
Justin Herbert is having one heck of a season. He’s thrown for 2,390 yards and 18 touchdowns, completing more than 67% of his passes. He does have eight interceptions and threw a pick-six last Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
There’s no denying Herbert’s talent though. The arm talent is jaw-dropping. Every week he makes some absurd throws, like this one to wide receiver Quentin Johnston against the Titans.
You can’t place this better than Herbert did. Great pace on the throw, and he puts it right over the outstretched hand of the defender. Herbert makes these throws all the time. His arm and accuracy are unreal.
He can make every throw, and he also has a rushing element to his game. He’s tough to sack with his size and strength, and he’s able to extend with his legs.
This is what Herbert can do when the play breaks down. The Steelers will have to be very disciplined in their rush lanes on Sunday night.
Coming into the season the Chargers appeared loaded at running back with rookie Omarion Hampton and veteran Najee Harris. Then Harris, the former Steeler, tore his Achilles and Hampton went down with an ankle injury, landing on injured reserve.
Just when it seemed like the Chargers’ run game would fall apart, Kimani Vidal emerged as a good option for Los Angeles. He’s rushed for 309 yards and a touchdown this season, including a 117-yard performance against the Minnesota Vikings.
He’s a squat, compact running back with good power and vision. He runs with a low center of gravity and is tough to bring down at the point of contact. He’ll be a tough test for the Steelers.
Jaret Patterson is a nice change-of-pace running back with bit more juice than Vida. But he has that same low center of gravity and runs hard, consistently falling forward at the end of runs.
The run game has been solid in recent weeks under Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, but this offense goes through its pass-catching weapons.
Keenan Allen has been a revelation for the Chargers since returning in free agency. He’s hauled in 50 passes for 520 yards and four touchdowns and has been a consistent outlet for Herbert in the passing game.
He’s such a smart wide receiver and a great route runner. He doesn’t have great speed anymore, but he knows how to get himself open and consistently hauls in passes that are in his vicinity.
While Allen is the dependable slot option who has great chemistry with Herbert, Ladd McConkey is the true No. 1 WR for the Chargers.
He can stretch the field, play inside and outside and win as a route runner. He is tough as nails, too, despite his smaller frame. His production with Herbert in less than two years is something else.
He had 82 receptions for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024 and already has 47 receptions for 524 yards and three touchdowns this season. McConkey and Herbert have a bit of a mind meld going on and always seem to combine for big plays in big spots.
The most underrated aspect of the Chargers’ offense — and maybe the scariest right now — is rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden Jr. He’s a matchup nightmare for defenses.
Gadsden is basically a wide receiver in a tight end’s body, but he can handle his own in-line too. He’s come on strong in recent weeks and has been one of the best tight ends in the league.
No team has figured out how to consistently slow him down in recent weeks, and he’s only getting better. The Steelers have had issues defending tight ends this season, so extra attention should be paid to Gadsden Sunday night.
Up front, the Chargers are very banged up without Slater and Alt. Here’s how I expect them to line up left to right on Sunday:
LT — Austin Deculus
LG — Zion Johnson
C — Bradley Bozeman
RG — Mekhi Becton
RT — Bobby Hart
The Deculus and Hart tackle combination should really have the Chargers worried. While Los Angeles traded for Trevor Penning Tuesday, it seems like a bit of a stretch that he’ll be ready to go against the Steelers.
He might need to be though. Hart and Deculus really struggle in pass protection and aren’t all that impactful in the run game.
The interior of the Chargers’ offensive line is good with a pair of physical guards in Johnson and Becton. Becton is a bit banged up, so he’s someone to monitor Friday from a health standpoint.
On special teams, the Chargers have a great kicker in Cameron Dicker. He’s so consistent. He’s 20-for-21 this season in field goals and has missed just seven field goals in his career. Remarkable numbers across the board.
Punter J.K. Scott has a big leg and is averaging 50.2 yards on 24 punts this season. Eight of his punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line. However, his coverage units have been rather rough.
Last week against the Titans, the Chargers allowed a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown. There could be an opportunity for the Steelers to create some splash there.
In the return game, Derius Davis handles both the kickoff and punt returns, while rookie receiver KeAndre Smith-Lambert gets some work in kick returns, too.
Davis is an explosive athlete who can flip the field in a hurry. He has a 33-yard punt return this season and has one punt return for touchdown in his career. That came during his rookie season in 2023.
Recommended for you