Los Angeles Chargers: What it is going to take to defeat the Steelers
By Jason Reed
1. Get pressure on Ben Roethlisberger
One of the reasons why the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Denver Broncos last week is because of Denver’s great pass defense that even gave Philip Rivers fits. While Big Ben was only sacked twice in the contest, he was under pressure several times and constantly had the team’s great pass-rush in the back of his mind.
Big Ben is a gunslinging quarterback that can rack up some pretty mind-boggling stat lines. However, he also is a quarterback that can struggle when facing good defenses, especially when he is being pressured.
Luckily for the Chargers, Joey Bosa has been healthy for two weeks and is going to give Big Ben plenty of fits alongside Melvin Ingram. If that was not enough, the Chargers ball-hawking secondary, led by Derwin James and Casey Hayward, will pick up any scraps left behind.
If the Chargers can make Big Ben look like the bad version of Big Ben then it is going to be a near-guaranteed victory. I get that James Connor has been good in the box score but he is still not Le’Veon Bell and the Chargers have been surprisingly decent in stopping the run this year.
It doesn’t have to be a perfect day for the pass-rush. However, the last thing the defense can do is play soft, as it has at times this year, and allow Ben to methodically drive down the field while he picks out his several targets.