Chargers vs. Steelers takeaways: Slew of injuries forces Jim Harbaugh into backup mode

The Chargers misplaced a number of starters to damage, together with quarterback Justin Herbert, in a 20-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. Herbert left the world in a strolling boot after reinjuring his proper ankle whereas absorbing a sack throughout the third quarter.

With AFC West rival Kansas Metropolis subsequent, what we discovered concerning the Chargers:

Taylor Heinicke is the subsequent man up

That is why Taylor Heinicke is right here.

The Chargers traded a conditional sixth-round choose to the Atlanta Falcons for the 10-year veteran realizing they wanted to improve their backup quarterback within the occasion Herbert was injured. The second nobody was ready for got here Sunday.

With simply 24 days of expertise with the group, Heinicke entered the sport within the third quarter and accomplished each of his move makes an attempt for twenty-four yards, however was sacked 3 times behind an offensive line that misplaced beginning left sort out Rashawn Slater to a pectoral damage.

“Want we’d have given him a little bit extra time there to function, however I used to be happy along with his efficiency,” head coach Jim Harbaugh mentioned of Heinicke. “He is a competitor. Opponents are welcome right here on the Los Angeles Chargers.”

Learn extra: Justin Herbert and Chargers don’t final in street loss to Steelers

Incumbent backup Easton Stick had a head begin on the scheme by enjoying in all three preseason video games, however Heinicke caught up by burying his head within the playbook for 3 weeks. The system was so difficult that he struggled to even say a play out loud at first.

He was inactive for the primary two video games whereas nonetheless getting in control. Then Heinicke began taking the vast majority of observe reps by the top of final week when Herbert was restricted in coaching, serving to him comfortably lead the offense regardless of the mid-game damage.

Though Harbaugh instantly dismisses any “what if” questions, Heinicke has needed to dwell within the hypothetical for a decade. The longtime backup has made a profession out of getting ready simply in case and is ready to do it once more as Herbert screens the excessive ankle sprain.

“We’ll see how this week goes,” Heinicke mentioned.

Don’t get carried away with rebuild simply but

Since Mike Tomlin turned the Steelers head coach in 2007, the Chargers have had 5 everlasting head coaches, one interim and two residence cities. Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman half-joked this week that the Steelers have been working the identical base protection since 1991.

That’s tradition.

And that’s one thing the Chargers are nonetheless aspiring to proper now.

Harbaugh has emphasised laborious work and particulars whereas attempting to alter the narrative of a franchise that has spent years seemingly inventing inventive, but agonizing methods to lose.

Operating again J.Ok. Dobbins mentioned after the Week 1 win that the Chargers earned their confidence in shut video games by their laborious work throughout coaching camp, saying, “We ain’t gonna beat ourselves.”

Learn extra: Explaining the thriller behind resurgence of Sam Darnold, Derek Carr and Baker Mayfield

But Sunday, the protection dedicated three penalties on one drive. The Steelers turned the 34 free yards into the tiebreaking discipline objective. Missed tackles began to pile up the identical approach because the Steelers ran for 100 of their 114 yards speeding within the second half.

“It is credit-card distinction, the margin,” Harbaugh mentioned. “I believed we had been proper there, forwards and backwards. [The game] was the place we thought it might be, and we did not get it performed on the finish there.”

Offensive line shuffle

It wasn’t simply Herbert’s damage that set the offense again. Slater’s damage may very well be nearly as necessary due to the offensive line’s position in not solely defending the franchise quarterback but additionally within the working recreation that drives the Chargers offense.

Slater, a 2021 second-team All-Professional sort out, was Professional Soccer Focus’ second-rated sort out after two video games. He was not on the sideline for the top of the primary half and left for good throughout the third quarter quickly after giving up a strip-sack to Nick Herbig and leaping on the ball to take care of possession for the Chargers.

On the subsequent drive, Trey Pipkins III was at left sort out and Jamaree Salyer lined up at proper guard. On the primary play behind the reshuffled line, Herbert took the sack that finally knocked him out of the sport.

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“On the finish of the day, we gotta get higher, it doesn’t matter what the circumstances are,” Pipkins mentioned. “Everyone knows that wasn’t our normal.”

Pipkins transitioned from proper sort out to proper guard this season with the addition of first-round draft choose Joe Alt. Though shifting Pipkins exterior prompted two adjustments to the road as a substitute of a one-for-one substitution of Salyer — who began 14 video games at left sort out as a rookie in 2022 after Slater was injured — the Chargers made the choice as a result of Pipkins was merely the group’s third sort out, Harbaugh mentioned.

Alt additionally was seen limping off the sector late within the recreation.

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This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Occasions.