Chargers vs Steelers Takeaways: Major Injures, Poor Offense Derail LA

The Los Angeles Chargers sustained their first loss of the season as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated them 20-10 at Acrisure Stadium. The Chargers got off to an optimistic start with wins over the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers, but reality set in with a loss on Sunday to Pittsburgh.

Here are the top three takeaways from the first loss of the Harbaugh era:

Injuries Hammer Down on Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers saw four key starters exit the loss to Pittsburgh early because of injuries. Edge rusher Joey Bosa left the game in the first half because of a hip injury that limited him in practice this week.

The most pressing injury came to quarterback Justin Herbert. Herbert, who was dealing with a high ankle sprain heading into the game, left during the third quarter and did not return. Taylor Heinicke came in for Herbert but was unable to lead the Chargers on any scoring drives.

The Chargers also saw offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater depart early, critical losses for the team. These losses proved costly, as the Chargers allowed five sacks and could not get the run game going in the second half. With Herbert out, their inability to protect in the passing game or block for their rushers proved detrimental to any comeback effort.

Penalties Prove Costly

The Chargers did not play with their usual discipline defensively, especially during the second half of the loss. On multiple occasions, the Steelers kept drives going because of penalties on the Chargers' defense, and led to points for the Steelers. In one instance, a sack was negated because of an unnecessary defensive penalty in the secondary. The Chargers finished with seven penalties for 69 yards, while the Steelers were only penalized three times for 15 yards.

The Chargers will be unable to afford these mistakes next week either, when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Chargers Offense Struggles Against Good Defense

The Steelers' defense certainly provided the best challenge for the Chargers so far, and the Chargers struggled to move the ball consistently against Pittsburgh's defense.

The Chargers finished with just 162 yards of total offense against Pittsburgh. The biggest difference was the ineffectiveness of the run game, which only produced 61 total yards after going for over 170 yards in the first two games of the season.

The injuries to the offensive line and Herbert certainly hurt the Chargers, but the Chargers will likely need to be able to operate through some injuries this season. The Steelers do have one of the best offenses, but the loss certainly showed the Chargers have more work to do on that side of the ball.