The Pittsburgh Steelers are exactly where they want to be after two weeks of the regular season. They’re undefeated through two road games, an impressive feat considering their lackluster offensive output. However, they’ll face a tough challenge in the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3. Both teams have yet to lose, and their defenses have been fantastic. Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins believes it’s going to be a brawl on Sunday.
“Early thoughts is, I know it’s gonna be a fight,” Dobbins said Monday on the Jim Rome Show. “I got some old teammates over there. Patrick Queen, I know him very well. I know he gonna come with it. DeShon Elliott, I know he gonna come with it. I know those guys are gonna be tough. Coach [Mike] Tomlin, legendary coach.
“He gonna have his team ready as well, and there’s gonna be a fight. We got all week long to try to get it together for these guys, and hopefully we can pull something together.”
Dobbins was a member of the Baltimore Ravens from 2020-2023, so he is very familiar with the Steelers and especially Elliott, and Queen. He’s been hit with some awful injury luck in his career, so he’s only played against the Steelers three times, but they were some of his best games. He even had his first NFL 100-yard rushing game against the Steelers in 2020.
Against the Steelers, Dobbins has rushed for 326 yards, averaging 6.9 yards on 47 carries. He’s only scored one touchdown in those three matchups, but he’s given the Steelers fits. So far with the Chargers, he’s looked better than ever, rushing for over 100 yards in both games.
With the Steelers also being a run-first team this year, Dobbins is probably correct that the upcoming game is going to be a knockdown, drag-out fight. Gus Edwards, another former Raven, is Dobbins’ running mate in the backfield, so this Week 3 game might feel like an AFC North battle. Those are matchups the Steelers love to compete in.
The Steelers have made it clear that they feel they can outlast and grind away at any team, but that will really be put to the test this week. The Chargers have a superstar at quarterback in Justin Herbert, but he’s dealing with some injury issues, so we’ll see if he’s fully healthy by Sunday. In this game, any weakness could make all the difference.
