LA Chargers: 3 Pittsburgh Steelers to exploit for a Week 11 victory
By Jason Reed
The LA Chargers host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 11 in a game that is essentially a must-win for the Chargers. While the Bolts can theoretically go on a run after Week 11 and still make the playoffs, if they are going to be a playoff team, they have to turn things around.
The Bolts have dropped three of their last four, including last week to the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings won that game by exploiting certain players and matchups, most whoever Tevaughn Campbell was lined up against.
The Chargers are going to have to do the same against the Steelers. While the Bolts are nearly a touchdown favorite and have more talent, the Steelers are a really well-coached team that will stay in ball games if you let them.
Here are 3 Pittsburgh Steelers that the LA Chargers should be exploiting in Week 11:
1. Mason Rudolph (or Ben Roethlisberger)
The Steelers are preparing for Mason Rudolph to start this game but there is still an outside chance that Ben Roethlisberger can be activated off of the covid-19 list and play instead. Either way, the Chargers are not coming up against a great quarterback.
Rudolph is obviously the worse of the two as he cannot read a defense like Big Ben and is somehow even worse at throwing the football than Ben is. If Rudolph is the starter, the Chargers have to make him beat them.
It is going to be hard with the defensive line dealing with serious issues but the Chargers have to force the Steelers into third and long opportunities. Commit to the run and make Rudolph beat you. With Michael Davis and Nasir Adderley returning, the secondary should be able to more than hold its own against this beat-up Steeler receiving corps.
The same can be said for Ben although they do have to respect him more. However, with Ben's immobility, the Chargers can send more blitzes at the veteran quarterback and force him to make a mistake as well.
This might be the biggest quarterback advantage the Chargers have had all season and they have to take advantage.