PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Black & Gold Nation) — It was a rejuvenation for the Steelers defense on Sunday against the Colts as the Black and Gold shut down the NFL’s top scoring offense, and this week they take on another high-powered offense in the Chargers, who are in the top five in yards per game.
The Chargers offense begins with quarterback Justin Herbert, who is second in the NFL in both passing yards and touchdown passes. He has thrown for 2390 yards and 18 touchdowns, which has caught the attention of head coach Mike Tomlin.
“Herbert is extremely talented. He can kill you with his arms and certainly can kill you with his legs. He can kill you with both by play extension,” said Tomlin. “He has a complete arsenal of people to throw to. So, we certainly have our hands full in these one-dimensional passing moments working to minimize all those eligibles while at the same time respecting the mobility component of Herbert.”
One of the keys for the Steelers against the Chargers offense will be the pass rush getting to Herbert and taking him down. The Steelers are coming off of a five sack performance against the Colts and will be going up against a Chargers offensive line that has been struggling. This season Herbert is getting hit an average of nine times per game, which is the most in the NFL.
“I think it’s just having a good game plan when it comes to our rushes. And I think we do have that. And so, we just got to continue to build off of what we’ve been doing,” said linebacker Alex Highsmith. “Obviously, you know, we were able to get to the QB this past week. So, we just got to continue to build off what we’re doing in that way. But yeah, and they just kind of, you know, getting off the rock, and just being physical up front. And we know that we had the guys be able to do that.”
Protecting Herbert will be getting more difficult this week. The Chargers announced on Monday that left tackle Joe Alt will miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury, so the Steelers pass rush could have plenty of opportunities to get to Herbert.
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