It couldn’t have been a better day for the Pittsburgh Steelers to break out.
In front of a sellout crowd at Acrisure Stadium, the Steelers gave the fans a day to remember, taking down the Los Angeles Chargers by a score of 20-10 in their home opener, improving their record to 3-0.
Coming into the game, both teams were dealing with key injured players, namely Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who left the game late in the third quarter due to a lingering high-ankle sprain he sustained last week.
The story of the day for the Steelers was on offense, as the team finished with 346 total yards. Leading the way was third-year receiver Calvin Austin III, who finished with a career-high 95 receiving yards on four receptions, including a 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the game. Quarterback Justin Fields had his best game of the season, completing 25 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown. George Pickens finished with 57 yards on five receptions, while tight end Pat Freiermuth contributed 33 yards on four receptions.
On the ground, running back Najee Harris had 70 yards on 18 carries.
The Steelers’ defense, as expected, gave the Chargers’ offense all sorts of issues. In the end, they relegated them to just 168 total yards and 10 points, while collecting five sacks.
Leading the way was second-year pass rusher Nick Herbig, who, in Alex Highsmith’s absence, accounted for 2 sacks and three total tackles. Veteran defensive lineman Cam Heyward collected his first sack of the season, while All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt collected career sack No. 99.5 in the third quarter. Linebacker Patrick Queen had a busy day, leading the team with 8 tackles and a pass deflection.
With such a performance, one could easily assume that Fields will carry on as the team’s starting quarterback, regardless of Russell Wilson’s condition. Though it has not been confirmed yet, it is more likely than not that he will be leading the way going forward.
Injuries - CB Cory Trice Jr. (Hamstring) and LB Alex Highsmith (Groin)
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