Now it gets tougher for the Chargers. Now they’ll face a tougher opponent than in either of their first two games. Now they might have to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers without quarterback Justin Herbert, who revealed Friday that he suffered a high ankle sprain last Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.
Good against the Panthers (0-2) and Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) was one thing.
Good against the Steelers (2-0) might be something else entirely.
“Absolutely, man, it’s going to be a test,” Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack told reporters recently after a practice in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the team stayed to prepare for the Steelers while cutting down on coast-to-coast travel. “We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
History isn’t on the Chargers’ side.
After all, they haven’t started a season with a 3-0 record since 2002.
Then again, when was the last time they were the NFL’s top defensive team, giving up 6.5 points per game, two weeks into the season? When was the last time their top running back led the league in rushing after becoming the first player in franchise history to start a season with consecutive 100-yard games?
No question, the Chargers won their first two games with superior play along the offensive and defensive lines. It was exactly the type of hard-nosed game General Manager Joe Hortiz and Coach Jim Harbaugh envisioned when they were hired back in what proved to be a winter of change for the team.
Instead of throwing the ball 30 to 40 times, like under the previous regime regardless of the circumstances, the new-look Chargers have punished the opposition by running more than passing. Through two games, the Chargers have averaged 35.5 running plays and 23 passing plays.
It has put Herbert in the unique position of playing the role of basketball point guard, as he has described it. It’s his job to get the ball to the right people at the right moments, which has most often required him to hand off the ball to running back J.K. Dobbins, the NFL’s leading rusher with 266 yards.
“I think that’s one of the great things Coach Roman has tried to teach us, that having a balanced run, balanced pass, play-action game, having everything in our arsenal, so that we can go out there and teams have to play us straight up,” Herbert said after throwing only 20 times against Carolina.
Herbert referred to Greg Roman, the Chargers’ offensive coordinator.
The play of the Chargers’ offensive line cannot be overlooked as a major factor in their early success in running the ball. It’s been only two games, of course, but rookie right tackle Joe Alt has fit seamlessly into a starter’s role, and he did it during a challenging NFL debut against the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby.
Now, he’ll face another merciless pass rusher in the Steelers’ T.J. Watt.
“I think his potential is limitless,” Roman said of Alt, the fifth overall pick in the draft in April. “I was with Jonathan Ogden (while with the Baltimore Ravens) and he (Alt) has a chance to touch that stratosphere. But that’s a lot of work, a lot of time, a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience away.”
Roman would get no argument from Mack, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection in his 11th season in the NFL and his third with the Chargers, a pass rusher who has tested Alt during training camp and into the regular season on the practice field. Alt has impressed Mack so far in his young professional career.
Related Articles
Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers: Who has the edge?
Chargers QB Justin Herbert (high ankle sprain) questionable vs. Steelers
Chargers QB Justin Herbert limited in return to practice
Chargers QB Justin Herbert misses practice because of right ankle injury
Chargers review: Just how good are these guys after a 2-0 start?
“He’s had some stiff competition, but he is handling it well,” Mack said of Alt, who is listed at 6-foot-8 and 322 pounds. “He’s kind of like Rashawn (Slater, a fourth-year left tackle). It’s just his attitude and his approach. He’s handling it like a pro. He comes out on Sundays and handles it like a pro.”
Asked about facing Crosby in Week 1 and Watt in Week 3 to begin his career, a smiling Roman said of Alt, “Hey, Merry Christmas.” In a more serious tone, Roman also said, “Right now, he’s battling to get everything down and learn. He has been great so far. His ability to file away things and move on is very big.”
The Chargers will need him and everyone else at their best Sunday against the Steelers.
CHARGERS (2-0) at STEELERS (2-0)
When: 10 a.m. PT Sunday
Where: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
TV/radio: CBS (Ch. 2); 98.7 FM; 105.5 FM/94.3 FM (Spanish)