Game Overview ::
By papy324 >>
- The Steelers’ injury report doesn’t include a lot of notable names. Rookie WR Roman Wilson, who is yet to make his NFL debut, was limited on Wednesday with the ankle injury he suffered early in camp. TE MyCole Pruitt was a DNP with a knee. Starting guard Isaac Seumalo continues to be a DNP with a pectoral injury.
- The notables on the Chargers injury report are Joey Bosa, who was limited with a hip, Justin Herbert who was a DNP with an ankle, and Joshua Palmer who was a DNP with elbow/calf injuries.
- Throw out the artificially run-oriented Malik Willis Packers, and this game pairs the top two run-heaviest teams in the league.
- The Chargers have thrown 46 passes this year.
- The Steelers have thrown 43 passes this year.
- Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren split snaps nearly down the middle last week. Harris was still the preferred back in rushing attempts.
- J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards split snaps nearly down the middle last week. They split the work evenly, but Dobbins vastly outperformed Edwards.
- Quentin Johnston took over the WR1 role last week. No other Charger WR played over 50% of the snaps.
- George Pickens has a downfield role that could always produce a big game, but he’s never going to see consistent volume.
- Justin Fields has the highest floor for his price on the slate.
- The Steelers’ defense might be the best play from this game.
How LOS ANGELES Will Try To Win ::
The 2-0 Chargers are off to a fast start under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. They beat the Raiders in a “we’ll take it” ugly Week 1 game, before trampling the barely alive Panthers in Week 2. The Chargers have looked good under new offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Roman has coached as expected in games that are competitive. The Chargers have dictated the game flow for their first two games, and they’ve barely thrown (30th in pass rate). The Chargers played slow (28th in seconds per play) and leaned into the run. A run-heavy (30th in the pass rate over expectation), game plan, plus a deliberate pace, is exactly the type of game Roman wants to call. Roman’s tendencies as an OC have been well documented, but what has been interesting is his deployment of his offensive players. There wasn’t an established hierarchy coming into the year, and already there has been a shift from preseason expectations. The Chargers’ backfield was again a timeshare. It’s curious to many that Dobbins (46%), was out-snapped by Edwards (48%). Their usage was also nearly identical. Dobbins (17), saw one less carry than Edwards (18), while Dobbins got one target, and Edwards saw zero. Dobbins once again outperformed Edwards by a considerable margin with his touches, but it’s difficult to know when that’ll end up translating to a higher opportunity share.
The Chargers’ WR room was expected to feature Palmer, Ladd McConkey, and D.J. Chark, with Johnston serving as a rotational piece. Two weeks later, it looks like Johnston might have usurped the WR1 role from Palmer. Johnston (70%) saw the field the most in Week 2, while none of Palmer (43%), McConkey (49%), or Simi Fehoko (41%) played over half the time. That could have to do with game flow, it could be because Palmer was banged up throughout the game, or it could be a sign that the Chargers are going to treat Johnston as their top WR. Johnston gave them reason to believe in him, dropping a 5/51/2 line on six targets. The Steelers’ defense doesn’t present an obvious weakness, and the Chargers have had success playing their new brand of football. They have no reason to deviate from their preferred method of attack, being willing to accept Pittsburgh’s offer to play a grind-it-out game.
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