The Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers enter their matchup at Acrisure Stadium undefeated at 2-0. If NFL Network analyst and former NFL executive Marc Ross’ bold prediction comes true, they’ll both leave Week 3 undefeated.
“Sunday’s Chargers-Steelers meeting looks like an old-school slugfest. Both teams are relying on their defenses early in the season and those units are dominating, holding opponents to fewer than 10 points per game (Chargers, 6.5 ppg; Steelers, 8.0 ppg). Points will be hard to come by, causing this contest to go into overtime and ultimately end in a 13-13 tie,” Ross said for his Week 3 bold predictions via NFL.com.
Both teams have played a similar style of offense, both relying on their ground game and time of possession. While Justin Herbert has been one of the better quarterbacks in the league over the past few years, his numbers so far aren’t that far off from what Justin Fields has done for the Steelers. Through two games, Herbert has thrown for 274 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Fields has thrown for 273 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. Herbert has added 24 rushing yards while Fields has run for 84 yards.
It shows just how committed to the run the Chargers have been this season under Jim Harbaugh, and it’s going to set up a slugfest of a game on Sunday. The Chargers, like the Steelers, boast an impressive defense with two talented edge rushers in Nick Bosa and Khalil Mack, and it’s a game that could come down to time of possession and whichever defense can rise to the occasion.
That’s why the tie prediction from Ross isn’t as ludicrous as it might seem. Everything is shaping up for another close, one-score game that comes down to the wire. If neither team can separate themselves and the defenses continue to dominate, it very well might be an overtime game with a tie being a plausible outcome.
Both teams will want to move to 3-0 and separate themselves from the pack a little bit in a crowded AFC that’s only going to get more difficult as the season goes on, and it’ll probably wind up being the biggest test for both teams early in the season. Given that it’s Pittsburgh’s home opener, maybe the crowd can play a factor and help the Steelers make some plays like they did in Week 1 in Atlanta.
