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Bell: Steelers Defense Faces First Real Physical Test vs. Chargers
Since the beginning of time, the Pittsburgh Steelers organization has been synonymous with smash-mouth, hard-hitting football. On Sunday, the Steelers defense will be tested by a new-look Los Angeles Chargers team that is surprisingly hot out of the gate. This is being dubbed as the “pretender bowl” by the folks at ESPN and while we don’t yet know if these two teams are legit, we can be sure that this one is going to be physical.
Before getting into all of the new modifications that the Chargers have made this offseason, it’s worth noting that their two tailbacks, JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards, need no introduction to the Steelers defense and vice versa. In fact, both players have had some shining moments in these contests dating back to their days in Baltimore.
So far, Dobbins is leading the NFL with a whopping 266 rushing yards after averaging a robust 6.9 yards per carry in three prior meetings against Pittsburgh. Edwards is his partner in crime that’s off to a bit of a slow start from an efficiency standpoint, but turned in a career day against the Steelers defense back in 2019, tallying 130 rushing yards on just 21 carries.