The Steelers must watch out for these four Chargers players
By Bill Rippey
The Steelers have to travel across the country for a Monday night game against the San Diego Chargers, and they are coming off a painful loss. Now they have to think about how they are going to walk out of San Diego with a win.
It will be an interesting game with both teams expecting impact players to return to their lineup. The Steelers will have Martavis Bryant back while the Chargers will have Antonio Gates.
This is also a very pivotal game for both teams. Both the Steelers and the Charges have two wins and two losses. Both teams will have to play hard to get their third win.
As usual, the Steelers need to fear some of the Chargers.
Here we go…
After an amazing rookie campaign, Keenan Allen took a step back last year. However, this season Allen has been playing like he did his rookie year. Allen is sixth in the NFL with 315 receiving yards. The Steelers cornerbacks and safeties are still average at best, and they need to contain Allen.
The Steelers offense is not in a position to come from behind to win, so their defense needs to stop Allen early, just like they stopped Baltimore Ravens receiver Steve Smith last week. If Allen strikes early and often, the Steelers are done.
Melvin Gordon made the list by default. The Steelers need to fear every running back. Last week, the Ravens exposed the Steelers run defense. The holes in the Steelers defense were so wide any running back could have a great game.
Melvin Gordon, a rookie from Wisconsin, needs to be shut down. If the Steelers can stop the run, then the Chargers will struggle. Gordon is a good young back but he is a rookie and rookies make mistakes. The Steelers need to make sure Gordon doesn’t gain any confidence. If he has a good game, Monday will be a rough night.
Manti Te’o
The Steelers need to run the ball effectively in order to win the game. They must not allow Manti Te’o to stop the run. With Mike Vick still at the helm, the Steelers need to turn to Le’Veon Bell for offensive production. If Bell can have a monstrous game, then they will run their way to win number three.
Manti Te’o and the Chargers defense will do everything they can to stop the run. They want Mike Vick to pass the ball. If they make the Steelers one dimensional by stopping the run, this game will be over by halftime.
Phillip Rivers is a very good quarterback. The Steelers did a great job of not giving Joe Flacco time to throw last week, they must have the same mentality this week. Rivers can torch the Steelers secondary. If the Steelers bring pressure, Rivers can get flustered.
The Steelers defense is coming off of two impressive outings. They need to create turnovers, just like last week. The Steelers offense is nothing to be afraid of with Ben Roethlisberger out, so the defense needs to become a force to be reckoned with.
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