Carney: Four Key Matchups To Watch In Steelers-Chargers

A knockdown, drag-out brawl. That’s what Sunday’s 1 p.m. matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers promises to be.

This is the type of game where the Spiderman meme could be used as the preview and many would understand. These two teams are very similar in mentality, wanting to be the most physical, run the football at will, get after the opposing quarterback with a great pass rush, and win games by overpowering the opponents, wearing them down week after week.

So, where does the edge come from since the teams are so similar? Glad you asked.

There will be games within the game to watch, like the turnover battle, tackling battle and more. Make sure to keep an eye on key individual matchups, though. There are plenty of them this week top to bottom in all three phases for the Steelers against the Chargers.

Below are my four key matchups to watch on Sunday afternoon.

STEELERS OLB T.J. WATT VS. CHARGERS RT JOE ALT

This is the biggest matchup of the game, period. Nothing else matters but this one, when you boil it all down. T.J. Watt is the best defensive player in the NFL, and Joe Alt is off to a rather impressive start in his rookie season for the Chargers. Alt impressively locked down Las Vegas star pass rusher Maxx Crosby in Week 1, and then allowed just one sack in the Week 2 win over the Carolina Panthers.

Through two games, Alt has allowed just two pressures. Watt has two sacks in two games, and had two other sacks taken off the board due to bogus penalties. Add in the fact that Watt enters Sunday’s game just 1.5 sacks away from 100 for his career, and that it’s the Steelers’ home opener, Alt will have his hands full.

Nobody has been more productive sacking the quarterback against rookie offensive linemen than Watt since 2019, with 36.5. We’ll see if that can continue.

STEELERS WR VAN JEFFERSON VS. CHARGERS CB KRISTIAN FULTON

This offseason, the Chargers seem to have quietly found a standout cornerback in Kristian Fulton. Los Angeles signed him to a one-year deal worth $2.885 million. He’s already been more than worth it. In the first two games of the season, Fulton has allowed just two receptions for one yard on five targets. 

Yes, you read that right. Fulton has been a lockdown corner in the Chargers’ defensive scheme under coordinator Jesse Minter, putting a lock on opposing passing attacks. He’ll likely see a lot of Van Jefferson this week against the Steelers with Asante Samuel Jr. going against George Pickens quite a bit on the other side.

Jefferson has been rather quiet this season with just two receptions for 15 yards on the year. That’s not much of a surprise. It was expected that the receiver room for the Steelers would be limited behind Pickens, and that’s been the case so far. However, Jefferson had some moments in Week 2 against Denver, drawing a big pass interference penalty on a deep shot in the first half, and should have had a second one in the second half. He also had an OPI called against him that really wasn’t a penalty. 

With the Steelers wanting to run the ball on Sunday, they’re going to need someone opposite Pickens to step up in the passing game to open things up in the front seven. Jefferson will have a tough battle on his hands with Fulton, but the veteran needs to start making some plays.

CHARGERS WR LADD MCCONKEY VS. STEELERS CB BEANIE BISHOP JR.

In a matchup where pounding the rock and heavy personnel will be utilized a lot, am I really highlighting a slot receiver versus slot cornerback matchup? You betcha.

The Chargers are going to need to make some plays in the passing game to try and lighten the box a bit for the run game. On the outside, the Steelers have two good corners in Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson, who are playing some great football right now. The should be able to negate Quentin Johnston and Josh Palmer (should he play) Sunday. So, that shifts the focus into the slot, where rookies Ladd McConkey and Beanie Bishop Jr. should see quite a bit of each other when on the field.

Through two games, McConkey has been targeted 11 times and has seven receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown, which came in Week 1. He’s a shifty slot receiver that is elusive after the catch and creates ample separation as a strong route runner. Bishop on the other hand, is a physical slot cornerback and is constantly around the football, but he’s had issues limiting catches.

Bishop has allowed seven receptions on eight targets for 71 yards and a touchdown on the season. He’s leading the Steelers in snaps in the slot this season and has continued to prove himself as a dependable tackler and a smart player overall. His importance will skyrocket this week, particularly in coverage against McConkey.

The Steelers should be able to play well against the run Sunday, but they’ll need to be stout against the pass, too, especially with Chargers’ QB Justin Herbert hobbled. All eyes will be on the slot and this matchup between two rookies.

CHARGERS PR DERIUS DAVIS VS. STEELERS PUNT COVERAGE UNIT

This is a bit of an under the radar one, but one that I am very concerned with entering Sunday’s matchup.

Davis is an electrifying punt returner. He led the league in average yards per punt return in 2023 with 16.0 yards per return, and had an 87-yard punt return for a score. Now, entering Week 3, he’s going against a punt return unit that has struggled so far this season.

Under coordinator Danny Smith, the Steelers have allowed nearly 10 yards per punt return, including a long of 28 in Week 1 to Atlanta’s Avery Williams. The biggest concern with the Steelers’ punt coverage unit is the struggles at gunner. Veteran wide receiver Ben Skowronek was elevated from the practice squad the first two weeks and played well there, but he’s on IR now. Second-year cornerback Darius Rush has struggled in that role and was benched for running back Cordarrelle Patterson late in Week 2.

The Steelers signed veteran James Pierre to the practice squad this week, and it appears likely that they’ll elevate him back into the role he held down for a few years before leaving in free agency this offseason. Add in a new punter in Corliss Waitman, and now the absence of Tyler Matakevich due to a hamstring injury that landed him on IR, and it’s starting to look like a bit of a M.A.S.H. unit on punt coverage.

In what profiles as a low-scoring, field position-heavy battle between the Steelers and Chargers, Pittsburgh will need to be much, much better on punt coverage than it has been through the first two weeks. That’s a tall task with Davis a dangerous man back there. Waitman will have to kick away from him and focus on hang time this week to help his unit out.