Things were looking good for the Chargers on Sunday when they took the lead into halftime against the Steelers. Unfortunately, all things went south in the second half.
Injuries were a huge reason for that, particularly Justin Herbert’s re-aggravation of his ongoing ankle issue. The players and coaching staff aren’t using that as an excuse, though. After their first loss of the season, several players acknowledged the second-half penalties as a momentum killer.
“That was the name of the game. We did a lot of shooting ourselves in the foot out there,” Khalil Mack said.
Mack was called for a roughing the passer penalty in the second half, which still seems questionable. One could argue that Mack was blocked and even pushed into Steelers quarterback Justin Fields, but it was a call that pushed Pittsburgh further down the field.
Safety Derwin James, who had a stellar game, acknowledged the Chargers’ need to play clean moving forward. After their stellar opening 30 minutes, they were never able to sustain any sort of momentum in the second half.
“We just got to play clean,” James said. “I got to look at some of mine, I didn’t get to look at them. But just play clean football, I had one of them, a big one.”
He later added: “I’m not here to referee. I’m playing fast, I’m not thinking about no flag.”
Penalties, albeit a few questionable calls from the referees, set the team back several times. For a team that prioritizes discipline under Jim Harbaugh, it was disappointing to see in those final 30 minutes. Ultimately, it was all too much to overcome at Acrisure Stadium.
The Chargers finished the game with seven penalties for 69 yards, a stark contrast to the Steelers’ three flags for just 15 yards. If Los Angeles wants any chance against the Chiefs in Week 4, they must clean things up in that department.