Injuries aren’t why, in the second half Sunday, the Chargers got manhandled.
The Steelers were just too firm — just too Steelerish, which they appear to be once again.
Overcoming their own injury challenges and the game’s only turnover, Mike Tomlin’s Steelers outplayed and bullied Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers down the stretch to seize a 20-10 victory in their home opener.
The Steelers (3-0) were missing two regulars in their offensive line and lost a good edge rusher by halftime. They coped anyway.
It would be a gross mischaracterization to blame the Chargers’ losing the second half 13-0 on Justin Herbert exiting earlyin the second half with an aggravated ankle injury, Joey Bosa sitting out most of the game and left tackle Rashawn Slater exiting for a few plays in the second quarter before leaving for good.
Herbert went into the practice week with a sprained ankle, meaning the Chargers also prepared Taylor Heinicke, an NFL veteran of 29 starts and 11 relief outings.
An NFL team should be able to dog-paddle with a backup QB. The Chargers sank to the ocean floor.
Losing a good left tackle like Slater will always sting, but his main replacement, Trey Pipkins, is a sixth-year Charger.
It’s never OK for an NFL offense to go backward in three of four drives. The second-half net yardage? Minus-5.
Bosa? Please. Replacing him became a habit long ago.
The defense still enjoyed good availability of starters and reserves.
Some bad results were self-inflicted — such as Derwin James reprising his personal-foul habits, losing 30 yards in the third quarter.
Mostly, it was this: The Steelers won up front, clicked in the pass game and stampeded to the finish line.
They ripped Jesse Minter’s unit for 7 yards per play and 284 yards in the half.
Steelers back?
It’s been several years since the Steelers looked so capable to start a season, having now beaten the Falcons and Broncos on the road and dealt Harbaugh’s club its first defeat, never allowing more than 10 points.
Their new QB, Justin Fields, turned in perhaps his best career game, almost matching Herbert in the first half and finishing 25 for 32 for 245 yards and a touchdown.
Other than his third-quarter interception — a bad throw that bounced off a helmet — Fields, 25, protected the ball.
He threw on time more often than in his three seasons with the Bears. He threw sidearm darts if necessary and fired strikes downfield to second or third options. New coordinator Arthur Smith may be unlocking Fields, as he did with Ryan Tannehill.
The best defensive performer, unsurprisingly, was T.J. Watt.
He dealt Joe Alt the rookie tackle’s first sack after Alt had shut out Maxx Crosby and Jadeveon Clowney.
Watt gets upfield so fast that folks say he’s offfside, but video review confirmed he wasn’t offside when he beat Alt — either for the fourth-quarter sack or to earn a first-quarter holding penalty.
The Steelers adjusted fast at key moments. Alex Highsmith using a speed rush to beat ponderous Jamaree Salyer after the massive guard replaced Slater late in the second quarter.
The quick pressure dealt Herbert a key incompletion and led to Pipkins replacing Salyer.
Another example: when Herbert turned his back to the defense out of a fake handoff, linebacker Elandon Roberts shot an interior gap and sacked him.
Roberts’ quick reaction — on first down, no less — may have prevented a completion downfield.
Also, it seemed to lead to Herbert hobbling out of the game after the next play.
Edge rusher Nick Herbig replaced the injured Highsmith and beat Slater for a quick sack in the second-half avalanche.
The right combination
Famous for having no losing seasons in his 17 years as a head coach, the defensive-minded Tomlin may have found the right combination at QB (Fields) and coordinator (Smith) to speed up the transition from the 18-year Ben Roethlisberger era that ended three years ago.
Omar Khan is in his 24th season with the Steelers and third year as general manager. He learned under Kevin Colbert, whose era of 22 drafts comprised the franchise’s fifth and sixth Super Bowl wins.
Khan got Fields for a sixth-round draft pick. His first draft class, headed by tackle Broderick Jones and cornerback Joey Porter Jr., is adding force to both starting lineups.
For the Chargers, next comes a whole bunch of injury drama about a few of their stars — perhaps including Alt — before a nominal home game against the Chiefs.
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