Pittsburgh
Steelers
2-2
35
FINAL
38
Los Angeles
Chargers
2-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Wildcard Round matchup, the Los Angeles Chargers narrowly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 38-35, advancing in the 2027 postseason. Both teams fought fiercely for a chance to keep their Super Bowl dreams alive, but it was the Chargers who ultimately emerged victorious in this high-stakes contest.
Pittsburgh's Sam Darnold was a standout performer, throwing for 304 yards and four touchdowns, showcasing his ability to lead the offense under pressure. Meanwhile, Rico Dowdle had a remarkable game, not only rushing for 122 yards but also contributing 121 yards in the receiving game, making him a dual-threat that kept the Chargers' defense on its heels throughout the match.
Defensively, the Chargers were led by Donte Jackson with six total tackles and Tuli Tuipulotu, who delivered a crucial 1.5 sacks. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Tuipulotu's pressure forced a critical turnover, allowing Los Angeles to capitalize and secure their place in the next round. The Chargers' defense made just enough plays to hold off the Steelers' late comeback attempt, sealing the victory in a nail-biter.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Darnold | QB | 18 | 16 | 304 | 4 | 0 | 158.3 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 18 | 13 | 223 | 3 | 0 | 153.4 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 1 | 1 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 79.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 16 | 122 | 7.6 | 1 | 66 | 0 |
| Zach Charbonnet | HB | 2 | 72 | 36.0 | 1 | 57 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 13 | 53 | 4.1 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 6 | 121 | 20.2 | 1 | 72 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 4 | 98 | 24.5 | 1 | 60 | 0 |
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 3 | 93 | 31.0 | 1 | 69 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 6 | 47 | 7.8 | 2 | 17 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 1 | 45 | 45.0 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 3 | 38 | 12.7 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 2 | 35 | 17.5 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Riley Nowakowski | TE | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donte Jackson | CB | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tuli Tuipulotu | DT | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Junior Colson | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Sawyer | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spears-Jennings | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Milano | SAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Koi Perich | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Porter | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Elijah Molden | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Eboigbe | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Teair Tart | LEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Genesis Smith | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Holcomb | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Akheem Mesidor | LEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jermod McCoy | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 1 | 1 | 5 | 54 |

