INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The beat-up Los Angeles Chargers laid a beatdown on Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Justin Herbert threw for 220 yards and a touchdown in a 25-10 victory Sunday night, extending the Chargers’ winning streak to three despite a battered offensive line.
“It’s a huge win for us,” Herbert said.
After opening the season with three consecutive victories over AFC West rivals, the Chargers (7-3) lost three of four to drop out of first. But they bounced back with wins over Minnesota and Tennessee before humbling Rodgers in prime time to move a game behind first-place Denver.
“I like wins that are decided by great preparation, great strategy, finesse,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said, “but the best to me are the physical ones, won by heart and grit and guts, and that’s what this one was.”
The Chargers kept Rodgers without a touchdown until he hit Roman Wilson for a 27-yard score with 2:57 left. The four-time MVP was 16 of 31 for 161 yards, got sacked three times and threw two interceptions while looking every bit of his 41 years.
“I didn’t play very good at all,” Rodgers said.
Coming off a rousing 27-20 win over AFC South-leading Indianapolis last week, the AFC North-leading Steelers (5-4) have dropped three of four. They were 0 for 9 on third down before converting on their lone TD drive.
“We were bad. We got to find a way to get over on third down,” Rodgers said. “We got to find a way to hit them, because that was just bad all over.”
Pittsburgh’s other points came on Chris Boswell’s 59-yard field goal in the first.
“We stunk it up tonight,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “We’ll be back.”
With the Steelers down 5-3, Rodgers threw three straight incompletions, with cornerback Cam Hart breaking up the last one intended for DK Metcalf in the end zone, and the Steelers turned it over on downs early in the fourth.
The Chargers hit right back, with Herbert’s 58-yard throw to Ladd McConkey setting up Kimani Vidal’s 2-yard touchdown run that extended the lead to 22-3. Vidal had 25 carries for 95 yards and his second rushing score of the season.
Herbert finished 20 of 33 in his fourth straight game with at least 200-plus passing yards and took five sacks. He ran for 19 yards on five carries.
“The defense played incredibly well,” Herbert said, “to be able to get some turnovers like that, a bunch of huge stops and the special teams getting a turnover, too. They made our jobs so much easier.”
The defense has given up 221 yards or less in their last three games.
“We’ve just gotten better tackling,” Harbaugh said. “It’s been crisper, sharper. Guys just doing their job, not trying to do someone else’s job.”
The Steelers led 3-0 when Rodgers fumbled, fell on the ball in the end zone and was tackled by Khalil Mack for a safety in the first. It was Mack’s 35th sack with the Chargers, making him just the second player in NFL history to reach that total with three franchises. The Chargers hadn’t had a safety since Oct. 23, 2022, against Seattle.
The first touchdown of the game came after Rodgers’ pass was intercepted — his sixth of the season — with a throw into the hands of Chargers rookie RJ Mickens. Herbert then hit a wide-open McConkey with a 15-yard TD pass for a 12-3 lead late in the second.
Cameron Dicker kicked field goals of 32, 59 and 42 yards for the Chargers. The 59-yarder tied his record for the longest in team history and extended LA’s lead to 15-3 in the third. His 55-yard attempt hit the left upright later in the quarter, leaving him 50 of 53 at SoFi Stadium.
Keenan Allen made two catches to reach 956 with the Chargers, surpassing Hall of Famer Antonio Gates for the most receptions in franchise history.
Injuries
Pittsburgh CB Darius Slay was evaluated for a concussion in the second quarter and did not return. Los Angeles DL Teair Tart and TE Oronde Gadsden (knee) were hurt in the third.
Up next
Steelers: Host Cincinnati next Sunday.
Chargers: At Jacksonville next Sunday.
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