PITTSBURGH — Through two games, Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins leads the league with 266 rushing yards and is the first player since San Francisco’s Garrison Hearst in 1998 to have 130 rushing yards and a touchdown run in each of his team’s first two games. The Chargers also lead the league in percentage of total yardage from runs (59.4%), according to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football.
The Chargers offense looks like a carbon copy of what Jim Harbaugh did at Michigan. Steelers All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt expects Sunday to be a throwback slobberknocker.
“Some things seem consistent with what we’ve seen in the past. Some things seem newer,” Watt said on Friday. “Obviously, running the ball is first and foremost for them. A different type of quarterback. Not to say that’s better or worse for the offense, but it’s a different style of quarterback.
“But we know they’re going to try to pound the rock.”
With quarterback Justin Herbert dealing with a high ankle sprain and questionable for Sunday’s game, the Chargers could rely on their run game even more.
“Bigger personnel groups, the willingness to stick to the run, kind of the wear down, wear on you factor,” Watt said. “They’re not going to spread it out and try to run as much as some other teams. So, it’s going to be a challenge for us. It’s going to take a lot of bodies, a lot of little men hidden, a lot of big men getting off blocks and making plays.”
The Steelers defense has allowed only 76.5 yards per game on the ground, the fourth-fewest in the league. Watt thinks the defense just needs to continue to do what they’ve been doing.
“Everybody doing their job tackling, get as many hats to the ball as we can,” Watt said. “You saw some of the defensive backs coming up making some big plays. Any time you have that many guys that are willing to tackle and make plays, usually it ends with a good result.”
Watt also looks forward to his matchup against rookie right tackle Joe Alt, who stands at 6-foot-9, 322 pounds. Alt’s nickname is Joe Alt “Delete.”
“It might be the only one I’ve heard for an offensive lineman,” Watt said of Alt’s nickname with a smile. “But yeah, if it’s working for him, go ahead and run with it.
“I think he does some great things in the pass and the run game. Obviously, when you’re selected that high, it’s for a reason. I think he’s done some good things through two weeks.”
The Chargers have a very Baltimore Ravens-like feel to them, thanks to the Harbaugh connection. Both Chargers running backs are former Ravens in Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Tight ends Hayden Hurst and Eric Tomlinson, and center Bradley Bozeman also are former Ravens.
Harbaugh also brought Greg Roman with him to L.A. to be the Chargers offensive coordinator. Roman was the OC with John Harbaugh in Baltimore from 2019-2022.
Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen was with the Ravens for the first four years of his NFL career, so he’s very familiar with Roman’s scheme and Dobbins.
“I love J.K. Still one of my best friends, still talk to him to this day. He’s just a great guy, a great player,” Queen said on Wednesday. “I’m happy to see him getting back to himself, but as far as me, I want to shut that down. He’s the leading rusher right now, so just being able to go out there and shut him down would give me bragging rights and help this team win.
“He’s got everything. He’s got vision. He’s got the speed. He’s got the burst. He’s just all around a good back. He can do every single thing on the field, and I think people might have underestimated him this year, knowing that he had the injuries.”
Queen expects that the Chargers will try to test the Steelers’ will on Sunday.
“I faced it for three years. Every day in practice. Smash-mouth football, that January-type football,” Queen said about Roman’s scheme. “He going to try to see if he could test you, test you in your will and that’s why we got to go out there and try to stop it.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.