In a week when contenders for the AFC championship continued to make their cases for contention, the “Sunday Night Football” spotlight in Week 10 fell on the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Los Angeles Chargers, as they attempted to show they, too, can be factors.
A 25-10 Chargers victory has kept them in the conversation. Meanwhile, questions remain about the Steelers’ offense, and their own readiness to compete with the conference's best teams.
The Chargers improved to 7-3 while limiting Pittsburgh to 2-of-11 on third-down attempts and just 50 total plays. The Steelers contributed to their own demise in the fourth quarter when a muffed catch led to a deflected interception, and then a muffed punt was recovered by the Chargers to effectively put away the game.
Despite being sacked five times behind a patchwork offensive line, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 220 yards and connected with Ladd McConkey (four catches, 107 yards) on a touchdown to eventually break open a taut game with limited scoring for much of the night. Herbert has now been sacked 33 times this season. He entered the game having been pressured and hit more than any other quarterback this season.
A quarterback duel didn't materialize. Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers threw two interceptions, and completed just over half of his passes for 161 yards while being sacked three times.
Pittsburgh led 3-0 but allowed a safety when Rodgers backpedaled into the end zone before a sack. When Cameron Dicker made the first of his three field goals in the second quarter, the Chargers took a lead at 5-3 that they would never relinquish again. At halftime, they led 12-3.
Kimani Vidal added a touchdown run in the second half to help Los Angeles pull away.
Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, at 33 the second-oldest active receiver in the NFL, broke Antonio Gates's franchise record for receptions by catching two passes, giving him 956 in a Chargers uniform for his career. The record-breaking catch came on a designed shovel-pass in the fourth quarter that quickly led to a sideline celebration.
One week after forcing six turnovers in an upset of Indianapolis, Pittsburgh lost the turnover battle Sunday while committing three turnovers, without forcing any.
The race to win the AFC, and advance to the Super Bowl, is the most wide-open it has been in years, if Week 10 has been any indication.
Sunday began with the Indianapolis Colts (8-2), the AFC leader for much of the season but coming off a rare loss last week, rebounding to beat Atlanta on a walk-off field goal in Berlin, Germany.
It continued with the New England Patriots winning their seventh consecutive game to improve to 8-2, also — tied with the Colts and Denver atop the conference standings. Meanwhile the Buffalo Bills (6-3), a preseason Super Bowl favorite, suffered a stunning road loss to woeful Miami.
Keenan Allen celebrates record-setting night
FINAL: Chargers defeat Steelers 25-10
In a (mostly) ugly game offensively from both teams, the Chargers pulled away late to cruise to a 25-10 win at home.
L.A. quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 220 yards and a score while Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers struggled. The future Hall of Famer had just 161 yards passing with a touchdown and two interceptions.
The Chargers move to 7-3 while the Steelers drop to 5-4.
Keenan Allen sets franchise record
With his reception on a shovel pass late in the fourth quarter, Chargers wideout Keenan Allen passed Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates for the most receptions in franchise history, with 956. Allen came into the game one shy of tying Gates.
Pittsburgh's onside kick fails
Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen cleanly fielded an onside-kick attempt by Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles will try to run off as much time as possible with less than three minutes to play.
Steelers score; too little, too late?
Pittsburgh has scored its first touchdown of the game with 2:57 to play in the fourth quarter, but with the score still a 25-10 lead by the Chargers, it's going to take an NFL miracle to help the Steelers get two more touchdowns in the time that is left.
Rodgers is up to 161 yards passing, second-lowest of his career.
Chargers convert muffed punt into field goal
Los Angeles' Cameron Dicker extends the lead to 25-3 after his 42-yard field goal is good. Dicker is 3-for-4 tonight on field goals and this game, with 4:54 to play, feels just about over.
Another Steelers mistake helps the Chargers
For the second time in two minutes, Pittsburgh can't catch a ball, and the Chargers pounce on a turnover. After a deflection led to a Chargers interception, Los Angeles took two minutes off the clock only to punt. But punter J.K. Scott's twirling, spinning kick was too difficult for Ke'Shawn Williams to field — and the Chargers jumped on the fumble and are immediately in field-goal range.
Deflection leads to a Chargers interception
Aaron Rodgers had a wide-open receiver in Calvin Austin near the first-down marker and threw a pass right on the money. The pass bounced off Austin, however, and right into the hands of Chargers defensive back Donte Jackson for an interception that has made any comeback attempt much, much more difficult. That interception wasn't on Rodgers but it is his second of the night. He has completed just 10 of his 23 passes for 96 yards.
Touchdown, Chargers!
The Chargers go 90 yards in six plays to score a short touchdown on a run by Kimani Vidal, and their lead is now 22-3 with 9:26 left in the fourth quarter. The NFL is so unpredictable that you can never count out a comeback, but given how difficult points have been to come by for Pittsburgh tonight — 151 total yards, and 0-for-9 on third down — how much of a chance do the Steelers really have?
Pittsburgh's chance to cut into lead comes up empty
Just when Pittsburgh catches a break after a missed Chargers field goal, its ensuing drive ends on downs.
