Steelers, Chargers Week 13 Keys to the Game
The Steelers are coming off of their first loss since September and suddenly the sky is falling. They “Blew their chance at the Super Bowl.” “They’re done.”
Please.
It’s one loss to a pretty good Broncos team who had a record that didn’t reflect how tough they really were. And oh, by the way, the Steelers completely outplayed them… they just made a billion mistakes. Take away one or two of those and they win, hands down.
Now they get the luxury of facing a very talented Chargers team who is capable of beating anyone, anywhere. Yet, the Black and Gold get them on Sunday Night Football, a primetime spot where the Steelers generally shine.
Limit the Mistakes
As mentioned earlier, the Steelers made a lot of mistakes in Denver, including four turnovers and some questionable play calls. They rank 26th in the league in giveaway/take away ration and 31st in the league in penalty yards per game. They cannot turn the ball over frequently against a very capable Chargers team who can score points in droves.
They also cannot provide the Chargers offense with free yards. They must play close to mistake-free football.
Pressure Philip Rivers
Part of the issue in the giveaway/take away ranking is the fact the Steelers can’t seem to create turnovers. Nobody on the team has more than one interception and they only have 12 takeaways all season long. That’s not good enough when facing a talented quarterback like Rivers.
Couple that with the fact that the secondary is still the weakest unit on the defense and it is a recipe for disaster. If Rivers is given time, he’ll carve the Steelers up like a Thanksgiving turkey.
However, if he’s pressured and forced to dump the ball off underneath or throw it away, the Steelers defense will have a much better time of it. Allowing the offense to play ahead, vs. going blow for blow will be a huge factor in this game.
Run A More Balanced Offense
This is coming back up because they did not do this last week. I maintain if Roethlisberger throws over 40 times in a game, the odds are against the team winning.
James Conner is more than capable of carrying this team. If they can get him the ball 20-25 times, they will control the clock and keep the potent Charger offense on the sideline. In a game that I expect to be a close one, this is the best way to win.
Feed Off the Crowd Energy
There is no tougher road environment than Sunday night at Heinz Field. The fans should be rocking by kick off and the Chargers will feel that energy. So, will the Steelers. If the Black and Gold can play off of the crowd and amp themselves up, they’ll play a more buttoned-up, solid game. It may have been a Thursday Night game but take a look at what happened in the Carolina game a few weeks back. The crowd does have an impact on how the players play.
Conclusion
It’s not going to be an easy one but the Steelers are going to come out swinging. With the Ravens gaining ground last week, the black and gold need to keep a little bit of distance between them and the men in purple. They will do so by beating the Chargers 34-30 on Sunday night.
