Chargers defense stifles Aaron Rodgers as L.A. beats Pittsburgh 25-10 at home

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Just when Pittsburgh catches a break after a missed Chargers field goal, its ensuing drive ends on downs.

Cameron Dicker's 55-yard field goal attempt with 45 seconds to go in the third quarter clanks off the left upright, keeping the Chargers' lead at 15-3. Dicker is now 2-for-3 on field goal attempts in this game.

Aaron Rodgers couldn’t connect with DK Metcalf on third down, and there was no flag to bailout the Steelers. Pittsburgh is now 0-8 on third down. Not exactly a winning recipe.

Cameron Dicker provides rare points after making a 59-yard field goal for the Chargers, who extend their lead to 15-3. But Dicker's kick was only necessary because Los Angeles is now 3-for-11 on third down. The kick was preceded by a third-down pass by Justin Herbert that was batted down at the line of scrimmage.

The Chargers are averaging 3.8 yards per play tonight, to the Steelers' 3.6. The teams are a combined 3-for-18 on third down.

No. They are now 0-7 on third down with less than nine minutes to go in the third quarter. Pittsburgh punts on its first drive of the second half.

The lack of points tonight can be attributed partly to the pressure these quarterbacks are feeling. Both Aaron Rodgers and Justin Herbert have been sacked three times apiece, and both teams have had drives end this half because of sacks.

Not much has gone right for the Steelers on offense so far tonight, but they will always have this slick hurdle from Jaylen Warren:

Once again, the Chargers' inability to give Justin Herbert much time at all to pass the ball leads their drive to stall. This one to open the second half lasted six plays and gained nine yards before leading to a punt after Herbert was sacked for a loss of five yards on third-and-10.

Keenan Allen hauled in a 12-yard catch in the third quarter that was his 955th while playing for the Chargers, which ties Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates for the franchise record. One more catch and that record is Allen's alone.

The Chargers scored the first touchdown of the half late in the second after an Aaron Rodgers interception, adding some spice to an otherwise bland game.

The much-hyped quarterback battle hasn’t exactly delivered, as neither Aaron Rodgers nor Justin Herbert have thrown for 100 yards yet. Both offenses are struggling, as the defenses have held both to under four yards per play.

The Chargers score the first touchdown of the night to lead, 12-3, with only 12 seconds left in the first half. It was a masterful move in one-on-one coverage by Chargers wideout Ladd McConkey to get open.

Aaron Rodgers was just intercepted by RJ Mickens! The rookie safety corralled an overthrown ball in the middle of the field to get the ball back for the Chargers.

Rodgers has completed only 6-of-11 passes so far tonight.

LA leads 5-3.

It's no secret that the Chargers have gone through numerous offensive-line combinations to try to protect quarterback Justin Herbert with little success during his career, and the loss this season of key blockers Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater continue to keep Herbert under pressure. Herbert was sacked for the second time tonight to end the latest Chargers drive with a punt. Just 3.3 yards per play offensively for the Chargers tonight.

The offensive struggles continue, as the Steelers punted for the second time.

Aaron Rodgers was sacked on third down then unleashed a bomb on 3rd-and-8, but the pass was deflected harmlessly to the turf.

Pittsburgh trails 5-3. Its last three drives have gone safety, missed field goal, punt. Not ideal.

A field goal by Cameron Dicker ends the game's best drive by L.A., in terms of both plays (13) and yards gained (51). You don't often see football scores likes this, but it's 5-3, Chargers, here in the second quarter.

Pittsburgh cornerback Darius Slay Jr. just walked off the field after being hit hard by a teammate, Kyle Dugger, while both went for a tackle. With Jalen Ramsey playing free safety, having been moved back from corner, Pittsburgh's cornerback depth chart is a little thin. But it will be up to the Chargers to take advantage, and that means giving quarterback Justin Herbert time to throw. He was just sacked on first down. He is the third-most-sacked QB this season (28).

Oof. Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell was good from 59 earlier, but he just missed a 45-yard kick to keep the score at 3-2. The Steelers looked like they were going to be driving in the redzone a couple plays before the kick only for a Jonnu Smith leaping catch to be overturned.

A Pirates-Angels game broke out in the first quarter, as we have a very baseball-ish score after 15 minutes.

Neither offense has bathed itself in glory, combining to go 0-7 on third down. The teams also combined for only 85 yards.

Entering Week 10, the Steelers were in the bottom third of the NFL in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert at a 42% rate. So far tonight however, Pittsburgh has been uncharacteristically stout, holding the Chargers to 0-for-4 on third downs in the first quarter.

The Chargers received the ball back after sacking Aaron Rodgers on a safety but the possession went nowhere. Facing third-and-4 was manageable, but a penalty pushed it back to third-and-9, which was not.

The Chargers so far has 25 total yards from scrimmage on 14 plays.

Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked in his own end zone by the Chargers' Khalil Mack, and it is now Pittsburgh 3, Los Angeles 2 here with 5:09 to play in the first quarter. Rodgers had a lane to scramble forward even just a few yards to stay out of the end zone, but his backpedal to avoid pressure ended up increasing it.

Facing fourth-and-1 inside their own half of the field, the Chargers went for it and converted via a "tush push." They entered tonight with the ninth-best conversion rating in the league. But the conversion yielded nothing in the way of momentum, as Los Angeles punted just four plays later. With 6:47 to go in the first quarter, the Chargers trail, 3-0.

The Steelers were so close to scoring six, with Aaron Rodgers throwing a hair too far for D.K. Metcalf on a 3rd-and-5 scramble drill.

Chris Boswell came on a play later to drill a 59-yard field goal, giving Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead.

After Pittsburgh opened the game with a punt on its first possession, the Chargers return the favor after gaining one total yard on three plays. Your turn again, Pittsburgh.

A false start penalty set the Steelers back before they could run a play, and the offense ultimately couldn’t overcome the mistake. Pittsburgh punted on its opening drive after Aaron Rodgers threw incomplete on third down.

...And we’re underway! The Steelers will start from their own 40.

Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick debate if Los Angeles can overcome the loss of Joe Alt and protect quarterback Justin Herbert.

The Steelers are 0-5 in their last five primetime games dating back to last season (including playoffs). This will be Pittsburgh’s third primetime game in four weeks — they are 0-2 in primetime this season: a 33-31 loss at the Bengals in Week 7 on TNF and a 35-25 loss vs the Packers in Week 8 on SNF. 

The Chargers are 4-0 in their last four primetime games dating back to last season. They are 3-0 in primetime games this season: a 27-21 win vs KC in Week 1 in Brazil, a 20-9 win at the Raiders in Week 2 on MNF and a 37-10 win vs MIN in Week 8 on TNF. 

The Steelers have not won a playoff game since the 2016 season and have lost a franchise-record six straight playoff games. Their current eight-season drought without a playoff win is the second-longest in franchise history. The only time they went longer without a playoff win was the first 39 seasons as a franchise (1933-71). 

Pittsburgh has lost by double-digits in the Wild Card in each of their last four playoff appearances. 

The Chargers have not won a playoff game since the 2018 season. Their current six-season drought without a playoff win is the franchise’s longest since 1995-2006 (12 seasons). Justin Herbert is 0-2 in his career in the playoffs, losing in the Wild Card in both the 2022 and 2024 seasons. 

The Chargers have not won the AFC West since 2009, with their current 15-season drought without a division title the longest in franchise history. Pittsburgh has not won the AFC North since the 2020 season, with their current four-season drought without a division title the franchise’s longest since 1985-1991 (seven seasons). 

After allowing 27+ points in three straight games from Weeks 5-7, the Chargers have allowed just 30 total points in their last two games, a 37-10 win vs. Minnesota and a 27-20 win at Tennessee. The Chargers allowed a season-low 164 yards against the Vikings in Week 8 and 206 yards in Week 9 at the Titans (second-fewest allowed this season). 

This is the first time the Chargers have allowed 210 or fewer yards in consecutive games since 2010. They have never allowed 210 or fewer yards in three straight games in the Super Bowl era. 

Wide receiver DK Metcalf leads the Steelers in receptions (29), receiving yards (467) and receiving TD (5). However, he had just two catches for six yards (both season lows) in the Week 9 win vs. Indianapolis. 

Metcalf signed a four-year, $132 million extension with the Steelers after being acquired via trade from Seattle this past offseason. Metcalf is one of just two players (Hall of Famer Randy Moss) to post 50+ receptions, 900+ receiving yards and 5+ receiving TD in each of their first six NFL seasons. He is on pace to become the first ever to do so in each of their first seven seasons. 

The Steelers have scored more than 25 points in each of their last three games. They only scored 25+ points once in their first five games this season (scored season-high 34 points in Week 1 win at the Jets). However, Pittsburgh still enters Week 10 ranked 28th in total offense, averaging just 288.1 yards per game. 

The only teams averaging fewer yards per game than the Steelers are the Saints (1-8), Raiders (2-6), Browns (2-6) and Titans (1-8). 

At 33 years old, Keenan Allen is the second-oldest active WR in the NFL (behind 35-year-old Adam Thielen). Allen has a team-high 50 receptions and is second on the Chargers in both receiving yards (520) and receiving TDs (4) this season. However, Allen’s role has decreased in the last two games, playing just 30.4% of offensive snaps (62.8% in the first seven games this 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 (a second round pick in 2024) led the Chargers in receptions (82) and receiving yards (1,149) while catching seven touchdowns (second on the Chargers). In the wild card loss at Houston, he had nine catches for 197 receiving yards (the most ever by a rookie in a playoff game) with one receiving touchdown. 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 sixth-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.