In a matchup between the old guard and the up-and-comers in the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be going out to California for a Sunday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Chargers. At 5-3, the Steelers are coming off their most impressive win of the season after they downed the previously 7-1 Indianapolis Colts. Meanwhile, the Chargers are looking for their third straight victory and their second marquee win after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Week One.

The Bolts come into this matchup severely undermanned on the offensive line. Earlier this week, NFL.com reported that starting offensive tackle Joe Alt would have to undergo season-ending surgery to repair an ankle injury. Despite that loss, LA head coach John Harbaugh believes in the next-man-up mentality, which will directly apply to newly-acquired offensive tackle Trevor Penning.

“It played out in the game [last Sunday]. You saw how the guys responded. That's something about our team that I really admire. There was a lot to overcome in that game Sunday, and our guys found a way and overcame it. I'd have been surprised if they hadn't,” Harbaugh told reporters on Monday. ”You just keep going, keep getting better. Build and get better. And the biggest part of getting better is better tomorrow than today, better today than yesterday. You just build and stack. That's how you go about it.”

Even with the loss of another starting offensive tackle, the Chargers know that they can rely on quarterback Justin Herbert, who has answered the call time and time again this season. Even after he threw a pick-six against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, he bounced back and led the team to a 27-20 win.

“We say, ‘We trust Justin.’ I trust him with it all, you know? We all knew, and we all know what he does after an interception. It's almost like good,” Harbaugh said. “You know the rest of the game is going to be pretty close to flawless. That was our reaction. I think that was the team's reaction as well.”

After the Pittsburgh Steelers had a stellar performance against an MVP-caliber quarterback like Daniel Jones in Week Nine, they know that they will have to play even better this weekend against Justin Herbert. That might be difficult considering six players in the secondary are dealing with injuries. In fact, things got so bad that Pittsburgh made a trade with the New England Patriots for safety Kyle Duggar, who proved to be a valuable addition last weekend.

"Certainly, he displays an ability to learn quickly," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during a November 4th press conference. "It's the National Football League, man. You better have a hardcore plan and be light on your feet. I'm certainly thankful that we acquired Kyle Dugger, man. He's a quick study."

Mike Tomlin knows how important it will be for the Steelers to contain Justin Herbert. It will be an incredibly tough task for a defense that is dead last in passing yards allowed per game (278.3), especially when going against a QB like Herbert, who has the second most passing yards in the NFL this season (2,390).

"On the offensive side, man. It certainly starts with Herbert," Tomlin explained. "I feel like we caught a flier a year ago. He was limited from a mobility perspective when we played him. I thought it impacted how the game unfolded... As I watch tape this year, I'm cognizant of that. Herbert is extremely talented. He can kill you with his arms. He certainly can kill you with his legs."

Turnovers were a major reason why the Steelers were able to pull off the 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week Nine. They recorded six takeaways alone in that game despite coming into the matchup with just ten on the season. Mike Tomlin knows what his group must do to continue to build momentum on that side of the ball and find that type of success again this weekend.

"[We have to] simply come back to work," he said. "As I mentioned post-game, there's a fine line in this business between success and failure, and it's week-in and week-out. The teams that are really good, the units that are really good, the individuals that are really good have a certain level of consistency to their performance."

Prediction for Pittsburgh Steelers @ Los Angeles Chargers (-3)

Even though the Chargers made a trade for offensive lineman Trevor Penning, there should still be concerns about LA's pass protection. The Chargers are 4-0 in games that Joe Alt started and finished this season, but they're 2-3 in contests he missed or had to leave due to injury. There will be an obvious learning curve for Penning, which will make going against a Steelers defense that is tied for third in sacks this season that much more difficult. Penning will struggle on Sunday, which will make it hard for the Chargers to find offensive success.

Prediction: Steelers 27 - 24 Chargers

How to watch Pittsburgh Steelers @ Los Angeles Chargers (-2.5)

Steelers @ Chargers starts at 8:20 p.m. EDT at SoFi Stadium. You can watch it on NBC or stream it via the Peacock app or YouTube TV.

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