Steelers vs. Chargers final score, results: Austin Ekeler, Justin Herbert power LA past Pittsburgh

Jake Aferiat
and others
• 17 min read
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The Chargers surrendered 27 points in the fourth quarter Sunday as the Steelers mounted a late comeback, but ultimately that wasn't enough for Pittsburgh. Los Angeles won 41-37 after Justin Herbert hit Mike Williams on a 53-yard touchdown pass with 2:09 remaining.

Herbert and running back Austin Ekeler each did a bit of everything on offense. Herbert threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns while running for another 90. Ekeler tallied four touchdowns — two rushing and two receiving — as he totaled 115 total yards.

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The Chargers averaged 7.7 yards per play while amassing 533 yards of total offense, but Pittsburgh made two key plays late in the fourth quarter — a blocked punt and an interception — that allowed it to mount that late comeback and even briefly take the late lead.

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Pittsburgh's offense flowed through Ben Roethlisberger, who threw for three touchdowns as the ground game was sporadic at best (Pittsburgh averaged just 3.1 yards per carry). Star rookie running back Najee Harris missed much of the fourth quarter after being evaluated for a concussion. He was cleared to return on what wound up being Pittsburgh's final drive.

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Los Angeles (6-4) snapped a two-game home losing streak and remained a half-game behind the Chiefs in the AFC West with a game at Denver looming in Week 12. Pittsburgh fell to 5-4-1 with its first loss since Oct. 3. The Steelers will travel to Cincinnati next week to take the division-rival Bengals.

Sporting News is tracked the live score, updates and highlights from "Sunday Night Football." Read below for complete coverage.

MORE: Watch NFL games live on fuboTV (7-day free trial)

Steelers vs. Chargers score

  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F
Steelers 3 7 0 27 37
Chargers 7 10 10 14 41

Steelers vs. Chargers updates, highlights

Final: Chargers 41, Steelers 37

11:35 p.m.:  It's now fourth-and-32 from the 3 and the Steelers turn it over on downs and the Chargers take over with 1:15 left and will kneel it out here to end the game.

11:33 p.m.:  Roethlisberger is dropped for 11 yards on second down after Joey Bosa gets the sack. Third-and-29 for the Steelers from their own 6.

11:31 p.m.:  Roethlisberger is sacked on first down to bring up second-and-18 and the two-minute warning.

11:31 p.m.:  Najee Harris clears concussion protocols and is back on the field for the Steelers for this drive. They start at their 25 with 2:09 left.

11:28 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN CHARGERS.  Herbert hits Mike Williams for 53 yards and a score, Williams' first in a month.  Chargers 41, Steelers 37  with 2:09 left as Pittsburgh needs a touchdown to win it with just one timeout left.

11:25 p.m.: FIELD GOAL STEELERS.  The Steelers retake the lead as Boswell nails the 45-yarder with 3:24 left as Pittsburgh has come back from down 17 to tie it up.  Pittsburgh 37, Los Angeles 34  with 3:24 remaining.

11:24 p.m.:  Roethlisberger's pass falls incomplete and it brings up fourth-and-3 with Boswell slated to come on and kick the 45-yard field goal.

11:23 p.m.:  The Steelers call their second timeout with 3:34 left. Third-and-3 from the 27 for the Steelers.

11:21 p.m.:  Staley's gamble doesn't pay off as Ekeler is stuffed at the line. The Chargers turn it over on downs and Pittsburgh takes over at the LA 34.

11:20 p.m.:  On third-and-14, Herbert to Jared Cook for 13 yards and Brandon Staley keeps the offense on the field on fourth-and-inches.

11:19 p.m.:  Following the touchdown, it's almost immediately third-and-14 after Herbert is sacked. Pittsburgh calls its first timeout.

11:16 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN STEELERS.  Roethlisberger hits Pat Freiermuth from 5 yards out on second-and-goal to tie it up with 4:23 left.  Steelers 34, Chargers 34  with just over four minutes remaining.

11:15 p.m.:  LA's Joey Bosa gets hit for a roughing the passer call and it sets up first-and-goal for the Steelers from the 5.

11:13 p.m.: INTERCEPTION STEELERS.  Justin Herbert's pass is tipped but picked off and returned to the 11 yard line. First-and-10 for the Steelers who are looking to tie it up.

11:09 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN STEELERS.  The Steelers make it a one-score game with 4:49 left after Roethlisberger finds Ebron again.  Chargers 34, Steelers 27.

11:07 p.m.:  Roethlisberger hits Ebron again for 9 yards and the Steelers are inside the red zone and showing signs of late life.

11:06 p.m.:  Diontae Johnson hauls it in for 32 yards on the catch-and-run to put the Steelers at the LA 27 following the third-and-5. 

11:05 p.m.:  Harris heads to medical tent as It's now third-and-5 following the incompletion. 6:40 remaining in the game with Pittsburgh down two scores.

11:02 p.m.:  On the first down play, Roethlisberger completes it to Harris for 5 yards, but Harris is down injured on the play. It'll be second-and-5 from Pittsburgh's own 41.

10:55 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN CHARGERS.  Austin Ekeler notches his fourth touchdown of the game and has two rushing and two receiving touchdowns apiece. Now a two-score game with 8:38 left. Chargers 34, Steelers 20.

10:53 p.m.:  Herbert's impressive ground game continues. He's up to 93 yards rushing after a 36 yard run on third-and-5. Tack on an unneccessary roughness penalty and it's first-and-goal from the 4.

10:47 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN STEELERS.  This time the Steelers have no problem punching it in from short yardage as Najee Harris leaps over the pile for the score.  Chargers 27, Steelers 20  with 11:35 left in the game.

10:44 p.m.:  The Steelers are quickly looking at fourth-and-goal from the 5 and it's batted down but there's a penalty in the endzone for defensive pass interference. Now first-and-goal from the 1 for Pittsburgh.

10:40 p.m.:  The Chargers punt It away from their 32 and it's blocked as the ball rolls out of bounds at the 3 yard line. First-and-goal for the Steelers upcoming.

10:34 p.m.: FIELD GOAL STEELERS.  Boswell splits the uprights again, this time from 36 yards out.  Chargers 27, Steelers 13  with 14:10 left in the game.

10:33 p.m.:  It's third down again for the Steelers, this time from the Chargers' 20 but the pass gets batted away. The field goal unit comes out for Mike Tomlin.

End third quarter: Chargers 27, Steelers 10

10:28 p.m.:  The Steelers are looking to convert on third down following the field goal and they do as Roethlisberger finds Najee Harris out of the backfield. Now first-and-10 from the Chargers 25 as Roethlisberger. hits Eric Ebron for 1 yard to end the third quarter.

10:22 p.m.: FIELD GOAL CHARGERS.  Hopkins nails the 41-yarder and Los Angeles increases its lead with 3:40 left in the quarter.  Chargers 27, Steelers 10,

10:21 p.m.:  It's now fourth-and-8 and the Chargers move up 5 yards after the Steelers jump offsides as Hopkins lines up for a 41-yarder.

10:20 p.m.:  It's now third-and-13 from the Steelers 28 but the Chargers can't convert. Brandon Staley brings out the field goal unit.

10:17 p.m.:  Herbert takes off and runs again, this time on third down and he converts. The Chargers are 5-for-6 on third down so far and Herbert has five carries for 57 yards and is the team's leading rusher.

10:15 p.m.:  The Chargers are quickly near midfield to the their own 42 where they'll be faced with first-and-20 following a holding penalty.

10:09 p.m.:  The Steelers go three-and-out on their first drive to open the quarter. They punt it away and the Chargers take over at their 26.

10:04 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN CHARGERS.  Austin Ekeler's monster day continues. He peels off a 12-yard run and then hauls in a 17-yard touchdown pass. It's his third touchdown of the game.  Chargers 24, Steelers 10  with just under 12 minutes left in the third.

10:03 p.m.:  Herbert goes to Allen again for 14 yards and the Chargers are in the red zone.

10:01 p.m.:  This time Herbert has no problem hitting Allen. The two connect for 30 yards for an easy third-down conversion. Chargers now on the Steelers 43.

9:59 p.m.:  It's quickly third-and-13 to open the second half as Herbert's pass to Keenan Allen falls short.

9:57 p.m.:  The Chargers will receive the second half kick and take over at their 26 but there's a flag on the play. The penalty goes against the Steelers and the Chargers move up 5 yards to their own 31.

Halftime: Chargers 17, Steelers 10

9:41 p.m.: FIELD GOAL CHARGERS.  Dustin Hopkins nails a 30-yarder with two seconds left on the clock to give the Chargers a touchdown lead heading into halftime.  Chargers 17, Steelers 10.

9:35 p.m.:  The Chargers have been marching to close out the first half following the touchdown. Looking at first-and-10 from their own 41 with 27 seconds left.

9:25 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN STEELERS.  Roethlisberger throws up a floater that hangs in the air and he finds Johnson again in the back of the end zone. Chargers 14, Steelers 10  with 1:09 left in the first half.

9:24 p.m.:  Roethlisberger hits Diontae Johnson for 9 yards to the LA 10. Steelers in a position to score before the half.

9:23 p.m.:  Following the touchdown, Roethlisberger executes a nice throw and helps the Steelers march down the field.

9:14 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN CHARGERS.  It's Austin Ekeler again, and the Chargers extend their lead.  Chargers 14, Steelers 3  with 3:42 left in the first half.

9:12 p.m.:  Another 18-yard run for Herbert followed by an 18-yard pass and it's now second-and-goal from the Pittsburgh 10 for LA.

9:09 p.m.:  The Chargers are looking at third-and-6 from their own 28 and Herbert scrambles and keeps it for 18 yards to the LA 46. Nearing midfield.

9:06 p.m.:  Ekeler takes it for 10 yards and a first down as the Chargers now have a more manageable field.

9:03 p.m.:  The Steelers go 73 yards on 12 plays but turn it over on downs at the Chargers' 2 yard line. That's where LA takes over to begin its next drive.

9 p.m.:  Roethlisberger hits Chase Claypool for 37 yards to the LA 5. Steelers in prime position to retake the lead here early in the second.

8:59 p.m.:  The second quarter starts with a 3 yard run and a 5 yard run. Now third-and-2 from the LA 44 for the Steelers.

End first quarter: Chargers 7, Steelers 3

8:53 p.m.:  The Steelers' drive following the touchdown is three plays, all of them to Najee Harris. Now third-and-6 from the Steelers' 40 for Pittsburgh.

8:47 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN CHARGERS.  No doubt about that one as Austin Ekeler runs straight ahead and barrels his way through for the score. Caps off a 12 play, 73-yard drive that chewed nearly six minutes of clock.  Chargers 7, Steelers 3  with 2:09 left in the first.

8:46 p.m.:  The Chargers punch it in but get hit for illegal formation. Drives them back 5 yards to the Pittsburgh 6 and a replay of first down.

8:44 p.m.:  On third-and-3 from the Pittsburgh 21, Justin Herbert hits Williams again, this time for 17 yards. Brings up first-and-goal from the 4.

8:40 p.m.:  Los Angeles converts on third-and-14 after hitting Mike Williams for 22 yards. That's followed up by 5-yard catch by Jared Cook and an 11-yard grab by Keenan Allen. Chargers across midfield to the Steelers' 39.

8:38 p.m.:  The Chargers open their game at their own 27.

8:36 p.m.: FIELD GOAL STEELERS.  Boswell nails the the 36 yarder and the game's first points are on the board.  Steelers 3, Chargers 0  with 8:33 left in the game.

8:34 p.m.:  The Steelers go three-and-out in the red zone and will send Chris Boswell on to kick.

8:32 p.m.:  After a gain of 16 yards and two defensive penalties on the Chargers, the Steelers are officially in the red zone for the first time tonight. Second-and-5 from the 18 upcoming.

8:28 p.m.:  Roethlisberger hits tight end Pat Freiermuth to convert on third down once again. This time it goes for 4 yards and the Steelers are nearing midfield at their own 49.

8:27 p.m.:  The game's first penalty is against Los Angeles' Joey Bosa, who gets hit for a neutral zone infraction Second-and-5 upcoming for the Steelers.

8:24 p.m.: Ben Roethlisberger's first pass of the game is complete to Chase Claypool on third down and the Steelers convert. Gain of 8 on the play.

8:23 pm.:  The Steelers start the game with the ball at their own 25.

Steelers vs. Chargers start time

  • Date: Sunday, Nov. 21
  • Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. EST | 5:20 p.m. PST

For the third straight week, the "Sunday Night Football" game will have a 5:20 p.m. PST local kickoff time, and for the second time in three weeks it will be in SoFi Stadium. As usual, the game will begin at 8:20 p.m. EST.

How to watch Sunday Night Football

  • TV channel (national): NBC
  • Live stream: Peacock, fuboTV

Steelers vs. Chargers will be broadcast nationally on NBC as the "Sunday Night Football" game in Week 11. The game will be called by Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, with Michelle Tafoya on the sideline.

In Canada, viewers can watch Steelers vs. Chargers on DAZN, which includes every NFL game as part of a 30-day free trial.

Steelers schedule 2021

Week Date Opponent Time (ET) TV
11 Nov. 21 at Chargers 8:20 p.m. ET NBC
12 Nov. 28 at Bengals 1 p.m. ET CBS
13 Dec. 5 vs. Ravens 4:25 p.m. ET CBS
14 Dec. 9 (Thu.) at Vikings 8:20 p.m. ET Fox/NFLN/Amazon Prime
15 Dec. 19 vs. Titans 1 p.m. ET CBS
16 Dec. 26 at Chiefs 4:25 p.m. ET CBS
17 Jan. 3 (Mon.) vs. Browns 8:15 p.m. ET ESPN
18 Jan. 9 at Ravens 1 p.m. ET CBS

Chargers schedule 2021

Week Date Opponent Time (ET)   TV
11 Nov. 21 vs. Steelers 8:20 p.m. ET NBC
12 Nov. 28 at Broncos 4:05 p.m ET CBS
13 Dec. 5 at Bengals 1 p.m. ET Fox
14 Dec. 12 vs. Giants 4:05 p.m. ET Fox
15 Dec. 16 (Thu.) vs. Chiefs 8:20 p.m. ET Fox/NFLN/Amazon
16 Dec. 26 at Texans 1 p.m. ET CBS
17 Jan. 2 vs. Broncos 4:05 p.m. ET CBS
18 Jan. 9 at Raiders 4:25 p.m. ET CBS
Author(s)
Jake Aferiat