Pittsburgh
Steelers
0-0
35
FINAL
28
Los Angeles
Chargers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling season opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers narrowly defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 35-28, setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting 2027 season. Both teams showcased their offensive capabilities, but the Steelers managed to hold off a late-game surge from the Chargers to secure the win.
Dante Moore was the standout performer for Pittsburgh, throwing for four touchdowns and effectively leading his team down the field. Justin Herbert put up impressive numbers for Los Angeles, racking up 330 passing yards, while Ladd McConkey emerged as a key target, finishing with 196 receiving yards. However, it was Moore's efficiency in the red zone that ultimately made the difference.
On the defensive side, the Steelers' Donte Kent recorded a crucial sack that disrupted a key drive for the Chargers, while Chris Cole's two interceptions kept the pressure on Herbert. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Cole intercepted a pass that allowed Pittsburgh to maintain their lead and run down the clock, sealing the victory. Both teams have plenty to build on as they head into the rest of the season.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | QB | 32 | 16 | 50% | 330 | 3 | 3 | 78.9 |
| Dante Moore | QB | 34 | 17 | 50% | 273 | 4 | 3 | 79.6 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 5 | 4 | 80% | 68 | 1 | 0 | 158.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 7 | 32 | 4.6 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 11 | 19 | 1.7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Kimani Vidal | HB | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Kaden Wetjen | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roman Wilson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Moore | WR | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 6 | 196 | 32.7 | 65 | 1 | 70 | 0 |
| T.J. Moore | WR | 8 | 162 | 20.3 | 64 | 2 | 61 | 1 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 3 | 82 | 27.3 | 13 | 1 | 63 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 1 | 55 | 55.0 | 36 | 0 | 55 | 0 |
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 4 | 44 | 11.0 | 4 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 4 | 42 | 10.5 | 9 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 4 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 17 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Roman Wilson | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| David Njoku | TE | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Riley Nowakowski | TE | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Kimani Vidal | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Cole | WILL | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spears-Jennings | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Donte Kent | CB | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Genesis Smith | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BJ Adams | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Donte Jackson | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Keeanu Benton | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Herbig | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kam Robinson | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| R.J. Mickens | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sebastian Joseph-Day | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KJ Bolden | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tuli Tuipulotu | LEDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brayden Narveson | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |

