Why Los Angeles Chargers will beat Steelers, why they won’t, and a prediction

The Los Angeles Chargers host the Pittsburgh Steelers on the Week 10 edition of Sunday Night Football in a clash of AFC playoff hopefuls.

There, the Chargers could make some serious headway and move to 7-3, rattling off a third straight win in a row to keep pace with Denver and Kansas City in the crowded AFC West.

Here’s a quick preview for the AFC encounter, plus why the Chargers can and can’t win the game.

Why Chargers will beat Steelers

Justin Herbert has played like an MVP in patches this year around an offensive line assaulted by injuries. He should have a field day with one of the NFL’s worst secondaries. Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater won’t be on the field, of course, but Herbert’s offensive line should return big-name guard Mekhi Becton. The Chargers defense has Khalil Mack back and continues to rank like a top unit against the pass (third overall), which bodes well against Aaron Rodgers and a Steelers offense that might get one-dimensional with its backfield averaging just 3.8 yards per carry.

Why Chargers won’t beat Steelers

T.J. Watt is still a menace and the Chargers won’t have Alt and Slater. The Chargers offensive line and its many, many lineups this year has coughed up 29 sacks already. That could end the whole tirade right here. But there’s always an Aaron Rodgers factor, as he’s completing 68.7 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns against five interceptions. Top target DK Metcalf continues to be a nightmare matchup for opponents and has averaged 16.1 yards over his 29 catches and scored five times with nine plays of 20-plus yards.

Chargers vs. Steelers prediction

Any advantage Herbert has over Rodgers largely gets washed in the comparison here because of the Chargers’ offensive line. Still, this is a home game for the Chargers and they’re projected to win a close one by most for good reason. The Steelers are 4-9 in their last 13 SNF games, too. The Steelers are also 23-38 against teams in the Pacific Time Zone, for whatever it’s worth. Online chatter aside, the home-field advantage should matter and don’t sleep on Herbert’s newfound legs this year being the difference-maker in a close one.

Prediction: Chargers 27, Steelers 24

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