Everything we know about Chargers’ 41-37 victory over Steelers

What a wild ride.

What appeared to be a game in favor of the Chargers turned into a primetime thriller in the fourth quarter after the Steelers scored three consecutive touchdowns, which was ensued by a special teams meltdown.

Los Angeles ultimately prevailed after a 53-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Williams in the game’s final three minutes.

To recap Week 11, here is everything we know:

It was over when…

Quarterback Justin Herbert found a wide-open Williams after a busted coverage.

Notable numbers…

– 7-of-12 on third down

– 533 total yards of offense

– 159 yards rushing

– 3.1 yards rushing allowed

– 12 committed penalties

Stars of the game

QB Justin Herbert: 382 yards passing, 90 yards rushing, and three touchdowns.

RB Austin Ekeler: 115 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns

WR Keenan Allen: 9 catches for 112 yards

WR Mike Williams: 5 receptions for 97 yards and one TD

Defensive tackles

Quick takes

– After an uneven performance against the Vikings, Herbert shined in primetime yet again. He benefited from getting out of the pocket, the designed RPOs, and the simplified reads. Not only did we get to see his arm talent on display, but his athleticism when he scrambled.

– While a lot of stuff underneath, Herbert was crisp when he pushed the ball downfield, completing 7-of-11 attempts for 162 yards and one touchdown on throws over 10 yards, per Pro Football Focus.

– The Steelers struggled mightily against running backs coming into the contest. The Chargers did a good job of featuring Ekeler to exploit the weakness by getting him going early and often not only on the ground but also as a pass-catcher in space.

– Los Angeles took advantage of a belittled Pittsburgh secondary. Allen and Williams got plenty of open opportunities and turned it into a combined 19 targets for over 200 receiving yards.

– Positive results happen when they run to the left side, as Rashawn Slater and Matt Feiler paved the way.

– Dropped passes continue to hurt. I counted five or six on the night. Two of Herbert’s three big-time throws were dropped, according to PFF.

– Even without Linval Joseph, Christian Covington, and Jerry Tillery, the interior part of the defensive line played with grit and energy. Justin Jones, Breiden Fehoko, Forrest Merrill, and Joe Gaziano limited the Steelers’ rushing attack to 3.1 yards per carry.

– After returning to the field, Michael Davis showed some rust in coverage.

– Asante Samuel Jr. allowed a big reception in coverage against Chase Claypool early on, but he countered with great play the rest of the way out before suffering his second concussion of the season.

– Tevaughn Campbell struggled for the second straight week when he entered the game in place of Samuel.

– The pass rush steadily got to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger but turned it on when it was much-needed. The group finished with three sacks, with Joey Bosa and Kyler Fackrell getting theirs on the final defensive stand.

– The special teams coverage units still have plenty of work to do. The Chargers allowed an average of 31.5 yards per kick return, and their lone punt was blocked, which led to the momentum switch.

– Penalties must be minimized.

What’s next?

The Chargers are on the road to take on the Broncos in a divisional bout next Sunday, Nov. 28 at 1:05 pm PT.