As the Los Angeles Chargers came away with a massive win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, 22-10, on Sunday Night Football, the team found the most important thing they could have in the absence of their two star tackles: hope.
While Justin Herbert's performance on the night was yet again immaculate, perhaps the most important development was the excellent play of right tackle Trey Pipkins III, who, for the most part, was able to limit TJ Watt and, by extension, the Steelers' pass rush.
There was serious cause for concern heading into the game, given the Chargers' deficiencies on their offensive line, but Pipkins' ability to hold steady in the face of such immense pressure could signify a path to viability for this O-line even in the absence of Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater.
If Trey Pipkins III can be solid, perhaps the Chargers' offensive line can find some sort of stability
So far this season, it has been clear that Los Angeles's offensive line has been the team's biggest liability. With both Alt and Slater now set to miss the rest of the season, the struggles of Pipkins, Mekhi Becton, Zion Johnson, Austin Deculus, and Bobby Hart have been hyper-visible, leaving Herbert as one of the most pressured quarterbacks in the league.
Yet, in a matchup against Watt, one of the NFL's premier pass rushers, Pipkins held strong, limiting Watt's pressures and keeping him to only one garbage-time sack on the night. Despite his poor rankings on PFF throughout the season, he came away with the Chargers' fourth-best offensive grade in the win.
Admittedly, Watt has not been nearly as effective this season as he has been in years past, totalling only six sacks through his team's first nine games.
Nevertheless, the one thing that the Chargers need more than anything else is viable tackle play, and Pipkins delivered that on Sunday night. If trade deadline acquisition Trevor Penning can perhaps step in at left tackle and give the team even league-average play at that position, their offensive line would become exponentially more effective.
Even with the struggles of Deculus and Johnson on the left side and Herbert's general lack of time to throw throughout the night, Los Angeles's offense was still explosive enough to come away with the victory.
Therefore, while an encouraging performance from Pipkins does not necessarily represent the salvation of this team, it does represent a glimmer of hope amidst the doom and gloom that has surrounded them since Alt's injury.