Steelers Receive Massive Injury News Regarding Chargers' Superstar

Herbert was doing some smaller drills with a heavily taped ankle, but he seemed to be a very limited participant in practice on Thursday before their game in Acrisure Stadium. 

Even if there is a significant downgrade at quarterback from Herbert to Easton Stick, it can still be a major problem for the Steelers. If they gameplan for both, then it takes away valuable film time when they could only study one. 

Herbert has not had elite numbers in 2024 like he normally does, but he is still a true threat to beat any defense by spreading the ball all over the field. Meanwhile, in relief of Herbert in 2023, Stick had a very rough stretch of starts, which resulted in the Chargers losing every single game that he started in. The hope for Los Angeles is that he has a better understanding of the game now that he has some starts under his belt. 

Steelers Have Seen Herbert Before

In 2021, the Steelers went into a shootout against the Herbert-led Chargers. Pittsburgh's defense was torched for 382 yards and three touchdowns through the air, as well as allowing 90 yards on the ground from the high-end quarterback. Despite a valiant fourth quarter comeback attempt, the Steelers lost 41-37 as they saw exactly what Herbert could do when he's playing at his highest level. 

Meanwhile, the Steelers have never had to face Stick. They only have game film from the end of 2023, but who knows how much he has progressed since then? At the very least, they know that the Chargers will most likely run the ball a lot, especially with a backup quarterback in, but they can't just give up freebies through the air and let him get comfortable in the pocket. 

Herbert has not officially been ruled out yet, so no matter who starts, the Steelers need to put an emphasis on collapsing the pocket and keeping either quarterback off balance. If Pittsburgh's offense can get into their own rhythm, like Arthur Smith believes, that will make everything much easier, as it will be harder for Los Angeles to run the ball consistently -- like they have been able to do throughout the first two weeks. 

Obviously, the Chargers will not be at full strength for this game, whether Herbert plays with a bad ankle, or Stick goes under center. As long as the defense is prepared, they should be able to feast on the quarterback. They still have to find a way to shut Dobbins down, but if they can slow that elite running game down, there is no reason why the Steelers should not win this game. It's not easy to prepare for a game when there is no certainty on who will start at the most important position, but the Steelers should be ready for this unique challenge.