The Steelers face the Herbert-led Chargers on the road as they seek their sixth win of the season.
Last season, Justin Herbert relied heavily on rookie WR Ladd McConkey in the passing game. This season, he has been spreading the ball throughout the offense.
The Chargers are the only team in the NFL to have four players with 30+ receptions and the only team to have four players with 400+ receiving yards this season.
As a rookie last season, McConkey (2nd round pick in 2024) led the Chargers in receptions (82) and receiving yards (1,149) while catching seven touchdowns (2nd on LAC). In the Wild Card loss at Houston, he had nine catches for 197 rec yds (most-ever by a rookie in a playoff game) with 1 rec TD. This season, he leads the team in receiving yards (524).
The Chargers have had three running backs placed on IR this season — Najee Harris, Omarion Hampton and Hassan Haskins. Though Hampton was eligible to return from an ankle injury starting this week, head coach Jim Harbaugh said he doesn’t think they’ll open his window to return until after their Week 12 bye.
Kimani Vidal, a 6th-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Troy, has started the last four games for Los Angeles following Hampton’s injury. He played in 10 games as a rookie last season (0 starts) before making his first career start in the Week 6 win at Miami this season.
In his four starts, Vidal has alternated between rushing for 100+ yards and rushing for 30 or fewer yards
Playing behind a banged-up offensive line, Chargers QB Justin Herbert has been pressured 155 times and hit 80 times, both the most of any QB in the NFL. He has been sacked 28 times this season (third most in the NFL) and was sacked six times (tied for most of his career) in Week 9 at Tennessee.
The Chargers lost a second offensive lineman to a season-ending injury in Week 9, with tackle Joe Alt set to undergo surgery for a high right ankle sprain suffered in the second quarter of their win at Tennessee. Alt had shifted to left tackle this season to replace Rashawn Slater, who was already ruled out for the entire season after tearing his patellar tendon in training camp.
In Sunday’s win over the Colts, Steekers QB Aaron Rodgers went 25/35 (71.4 comp%) for 203 passing yards with one passing TD and zero interceptions. In the last five games, Rodgers has thrown 10 TD passes with two interceptions (both picks came in a Week 7 loss at the Bengals).
Earlier this season, Rodgers moved past Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger for the fifth-most passing yards in NFL history. Rodgers, who has 64,644 career passing yards, will likely finish his career in that fifth spot (he is more than 7,000 yards behind Brett Favre, who sits in fourth place with 71,838 passing yards).
Chargers QB Justin Herbert’s 18 TD passes are the second most in the NFL behind the Rams’ Matthew Stafford (21). He is on pace for 34 TD passes this season, which would be the second most of his career.
He’s also seen his interception rate increase. After throwing a career-low three interceptions last season (the fewest among all qualified QBs), he then threw a career-high four interceptions in the wild card loss at Houston. This season, he has already thrown eight picks. The only QBs with more interceptions than Herbert this season are the Raiders’ Geno Smith and Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa (11 each).
After starting 3-0 for the first time since 2002, the Chargers then lost three of their next four games to fall to 4-3. However, they have now won two straight games, beating the Vikings in Week 8 and the Titans in Week 9.
They enter Week 10 one game back in the AFC West, behind the 7-2 Broncos, whom the Chargers beat in Los Angeles in Week 3.
Matthew Berry, Jay Croucher and Lawrence Jackson chat about their top pass catcher choices for Week 10, including Chargers’ Ladd McConkey against the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense.
Mike Florio and Chris Simms preview the matchup between the Steelers and the Chargers at SoFi Stadium, questioning if Aaron Rodgers and company will earn their second straight upset victory.
Matthew Berry, Jay Croucher and Lawrence Jackson reflect on pass catchers they’ll be avoiding in Week 10 fantasy, including the Steelers’ DK Metcalf and the Colts’ Michael Pittman.
Rohan Nadkarni is a sports reporter for NBC News.
Andrew Greif is a sports reporter for NBC News Digital.
Greg Rosenstein is the sports editor for NBC News Digital.
Steelers at Chargers live updates: Where to watch Sunday Night Football, time, channel and what to expect – NBC News
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