The Pittsburgh Steelers went into Sunday night’s game with the Los Angeles Chargers shorthanded and outgunned. And for three quarters it looked like the game was going to end ugly for Pittsburgh. The Steelers mounted a fourth-quarter rally that came up just short. Here are our big takeaways from the loss.
Ben Roethlisberger was a star
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What a huge performance from the future Hall of Famer. After spending the week dealing with COVID-19, Roethlisberger came out and had a huge performance. It would have been great if the rest of the team would have done its part but you cannot fault Big Ben for Sunday night’s outcome.
Alex Highsmith finally came to play
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
It was nice to see Alex Highsmith finally put together a solid game. Highsmith finished with six tackles and 1.5 sacks. Hopefully he can use this performance and build on it for the rest of the season.
The Steelers other edge rushers stink
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The truth hurts but watching Taco Charlton and Derrek Tuszka play hurts even more. With Watt’s health uncertain going forward, the Steelers cannot count on this pair to line up opposite Alex Highsmith and expect any sort of success.
Pittsburgh needs defensive line help
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
At some point, the Steelers need to accept the fact that aside from Cam Heyward, this defensive line isn’t very good. The Chargers were once again able to move the ball at will and the defensive front offered little resistance.
Diontae Johnson continues to impress
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I had to admit, I didn’t expect Diontae Johnson to be the team’s best receiver at this point in the season. But Johnson put together another strong performance on Sunday night with seven receptions for 101 receiving yards a touchdown.
The offensive line took a step back
(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
There is no rhyme or reason to the Steelers offensive line. This group was once again unable to control the line of scrimmage and failed to establish a run game against the worst run defense in the league.
What to do with Chase Claypool?
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It seems that every week we see Chase Claypool lose two or three 50/50 balls that he seems to be built to win. If Claypool cannot be the big, physical target on this team, where does he fit?
13 minutes of football just won't cut it
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh spent most of the fourth quarter putting up 27 points and mounting a miraculous comeback. But in a 60-minute game, playing 13 minutes of good football won’t beat anyone.
