In a loopy, forwards and backwards fourth quarter, Justin Herbert and the Chargers outlasted Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers 41-37. After Herbert watched their 17-point lead fade, he responded by hitting Mike Williams 2-17 for the game-winning 53-yard landing cross. Two sacks on Roethlisberger on Pittsburgh’s final journey sealed the Chargers’ sixth win of the season.
The Chargers seemed to be on their method to a straightforward win after taking a 27:10 lead by 3:44 minutes within the third quarter. The Steelers responded with a franchise report of 27 factors within the fourth quarter, together with two landing passes from Roethlisberger. The second landing cross, arrange by Cam Heyward’s tipped cross intercepted by Cam Sutton, was 4:23 left. The Steelers’ collection was initiated by Miles Killebrew’s blocked punt early within the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh 27-13 again.
After Najee Harris turned the blocked put right into a one-yard landing run, the Chargers took the lead 34:20 after Austin Ekeler scored his fourth landing of the night. Pittsburgh countered with consecutive landing passes from Roethlisberger, who got here again into motion after lacking the sport final week after testing optimistic for COVID-19. The Steelers then took their first lead for the reason that first quarter on Chris Boswell’s 45-yard subject aim after Pittsburgh’s protection compelled a turnover at Downs. However three video games after Boswell’s subject aim, Herbert discovered a large open Williams to win the sport.
In a fast first half, the Chargers took the lead with 17:10. Ekeler scored each Chargers touchdowns within the first half whereas serving to Los Angeles take them 14-3. The Steelers countered with two scoring drives, together with Roethlisberger’s 10-yard landing cross to Diontae Johnson in Pittsburgh’s third possession. The Chargers offense ended the primary half with a 30-yard subject aim from Dustin Hopkins.
After Boswell gave the Steelers an early 3-0 lead, Ekeler’s 2-yard landing run ended the Chargers’ 12-play, 73-yard scoring drive. Ekeler’s 10-yard landing cross on the Chargers’ second drive prolonged their result in 14-3. The 12-game, 98-yard drive got here after Durwin James and Joe Gaziano mixed to cram Freiermuth into fourth place and on aim. Pittsburgh responded with an 84-yard seven-game drive, punctuated by Johnson’s fourth landing of the season.
Here’s a full breakdown of what occurred on the SoFi Stadium.
Why the chargers received
Los Angeles acquired a fantastic sport from every of their important attacking playmakers. Herbert grew to become the primary participant in NFL historical past to throw 382 yards and run 90 yards. His 36-yard carry arrange Ekeler’s fourth landing of the sport.
Ekeler, who caught and ran two touchdowns at a time, amassed 115 all-purpose yards with simply 17 faucets. Keenan Allen caught 9 passes for 112 yards whereas Williams caught 5 passes for 97 yards, which included the game-winning landing.
They weren’t nice, however the Chargers protection got here with two key stops within the purple zone within the first half, together with James and Gaziano’s fourth down cease in opposition to Pat Freiermuth. In addition they enforced a subject aim after Joe Schobert’s fourth down-stuff from Ekeler with 3:48 left and a tied results of 34. Joey Bosa had one of many Chargers’ two sacks on Pittsburgh’s final offensive drive, the one with an incomplete cross to fourth Place ended.
Why the Steelers misplaced
Pittsburgh’s protection couldn’t overcome the absences of the starters TJ Watt, Joe Haden and Minkah Fitzpatrick. The unit allowed Chargers to attain for every of their first 5 possessions. The absence of Haden and Fitzpatrick was significantly noticeable in Herbert’s game-winning landing cross to Williams, which was huge open on the close to sideline. The session had no reply for Herbert, who performed virtually as a lot along with his legs as he did along with his arm.
Scoring 30 for the primary time this season on Sunday, the Steelers dropped just a few factors after settling for subject objectives on two of their drives throughout the Chargers’ 20-yard line. They could not get a lot happening web site both, with Harris working for 39 of Pittsburgh’s 55 yards earlier than leaving the sport in the course of the fourth quarter. Harris left the sport after being hit within the head after receiving a reception.
Pittsburgh acquired a strong sport from Roethlisberger, who had 9 touchdowns and no interceptions of their final 5 video games. Johnson caught seven passes for 101 yards whereas Chase Claypool caught 5 passes for 93 yards.
Turning level
The followers at residence have been doubtless prepared to finish the night time after the Chargers expanded their result in 27-10 in the direction of the top of the third quarter. However Killebrew’s blocked punt ignited a 27-point quarter quarter for the Steelers, who have been a defensive cease away from successful their first sport in franchise historical past after falling greater than 17 factors within the fourth quarter.
Sport of the sport
Pittsburgh led for lower than a minute earlier than Herbert Williams scored to win the sport. Herbert instantly realized that Sutton was sitting on the route that allowed Williams to be huge open within the subject. Williams then overtook rookie Tre Norwood (who began as a substitute of Fitzpatrick) proper into the top zone.
Quotable
“He can do the whole lot. He makes our offensive so significantly better and he opens the whole lot. To have him out of the again room, you realize that one thing good goes to occur. Each time he is on the sphere, you are glad he is in yours Crew is. ” – Herbert, who talks about disgust with NBC Sports activities after the sport.
“We had a name, I am not going into the main points of the decision and I am simply not taking the decision. At a essential level within the sport all of us must be on the identical web page and never have any misunderstandings. ” It simply did not come by. “- Sutton on Pittsburgh Put up-Gazette’s Brian Batko about Williams’ successful landing.
What’s subsequent
The Steelers will journey to South Ohio to tackle the Bengals, who beat the Steelers 24:10 in Week 3. Los Angeles will journey to Denver to play their division rivals in opposition to the Broncos within the first of two video games this season.
