Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh Gives Steelers Ringing Endorsement Ahead of Sunday’s Game

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh thinks Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers will be a good indication of where his team stands. The same could be said for the Steelers, as well. Both teams come into Sunday’s matchup sitting at 2-0.

The Steelers are coming off a 13-6 win over the Broncos in Denver, while the Chargers destroyed the Carolina Panthers, 26-3, on Sunday. Both teams possess elite defenses. The Chargers have the top-ranked scoring defense (6.5 points per game) and the second-ranked total defense (227.5 yards per game). The Steelers are the second-ranked scoring defense (8 points per game) and fourth in total defense (270.5 yards per game).

The Chargers defense held quarterback Bryce Young and the Panthers to 84 yards passing and 1-for-12 on third down.

“We’re actually playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. Onto Pittsburgh, let’s find out what we’re made of. Playoff team. Opener against playoff opponents, this week,” Harbaugh said during his press conference on Monday.

Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh says playing the Steelers feels like "playing a playoff team".

"We're actually playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. Onto Pittsburgh, let's find out what we're made of. Playoff team. Opener against playoff opponents, this week." pic.twitter.com/32BVej7aPJ

— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) September 16, 2024

Harbaugh has a lot of respect for the Steelers organization and the rich football history in Western Pennsylvania.

“Well, playing against them as a player, there’s an aura there,” Harbaugh said. “And just everyone I’ve ever met from Pittsburgh—there’s no one on the planet I have more respect for than (Chargers executive director of player performance) Ben Herbert, and he’s from Pittsburgh. I know the kind of football people that come out of the ‘Burgh. It’s real, it’s genuine, it’s unique. Just nothing but respect for it.”

After Sunday’s 26-3 win over Carolina to improve to 2-0, the Chargers now will stay in Charlotte, N.C., all week and practice at UNC-Charlotte before flying to Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Harbaugh felt cutting back on traveling and staying on the East Coast was the best thing for his team.

“Getting the body clock right, cutting down on the travel time, not just in the air,” Harbaugh said. “That’s the main reason for doing it. The 10 a.m. West Coast body clock. Just what the studies have shown from people smarter than me.”

The Steelers-Chargers game is also a 1 p.m. kickoff, 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

“The 1 o’clock Eastern Time kickoff really necessitates — that’s 10 o-clock our time — getting acclimated to that,” Harbaugh said, via the Chargers official website. “Plus, the 20 or so hours of travel time.”

The Steelers open as 2.5-point favorites over the Chargers, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The Steelers have -130 odds on the money line. The Chargers are +110. The over/under point total for the game is 36.5 points.