No defense has been better than the two taking the field at Acrisure Stadium Sunday afternoon through two weeks. Though their opponents require context, the Los Angeles Chargers rank first in the league, allowing just 6.5 points per game. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense is right behind, giving up just eight points per game.
Both squads have offered balanced performances. The Chargers allowed just 10 points to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 before holding the Carolina Panthers to only a field goal the next, watching QB Bryce Young check down endlessly to a dubious NFL record. The Steelers defense is in a similar boat, giving up 10 to the Atlanta Falcons to open the year while containing the Denver Broncos to just six points last week.
This means neither side has allowed more than 10 points in their first two games. In today’s modern NFL, where teams often score points at will, doing it three in a row is something exceedingly rare.
When was the last time a defense began a season by holding its opposition to 10 or fewer points in the first three games? The 2009 Denver Broncos did it for four straight weeks. Then they collapsed and did not even finish in the top ten in points per game allowed.
Still, it’s remarkable what Pittsburgh and Los Angeles have done, even knowing scoring and points are down to begin the year. Only seven other teams have held one opponent to no more than 10 points this season. The Steelers and Chargers are the only ones to do it twice. There’s not much margin for error. One turnover, one late drive, one big play, better field position this year with the new kickoff rules—all that makes playing defense difficult.
Of course, they’re not shutting out elite-level offenses. The Chargers have dispatched the Raiders and Panthers, the Steelers, the rusty Week 1 Falcons, and the overwhelmed Broncos. Sunday’s game between the two will be strong litmus tests, though if quarterback Justin Herbert is limited or inactive, Pittsburgh will have its third-straight favorable matchup.
No matter what caveats you want to put to it, these teams are aiming to do something rarely seen over the last 20 years. Besides the Broncos, the only teams to do it since 2004 are the 2004 Seattle and 2005 Indianapolis Colts. Pittsburgh or Los Angeles winning this game is what matters most: the chance to go 3-0 and put rocket boosters on early playoff hopes. But if they can hold the other side to nothing more than a touchdown and a field goal, they might be setting up for an elite-tier defense that could take them on an AFC playoff run.
