Justin Fields threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III to highlight a dominant second-half performance that lifted the host Pittsburgh Steelers to a 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon.
The Fields-Austin connection closed the scoring with 7:02 left in the game and added insult to injury for Los Angeles (2-1), which lost quarterback Justin Herbert to an apparent ankle issue and star linebacker Joey Bosa to an ailing hip.
Fields finished with 245 yards, the touchdown and an interception on 25-for-32 passing. He also rushed for a score.
Austin had four catches for 95 yards. Najee Harris rushed 18 times for 70 yards.
Herbert completed 12 of 18 passes for 125 yards and a TD before hobbling off the field with just under seven minutes left in the third quarter. J.K. Dobbins rushed for 44 yards on 15 carries for the Chargers, who totaled minus-5 yards while being shut out following halftime.
Pittsburgh (3-0) got the ball to open the second half and drove to Chris Boswell’s 38-yard field goal that tied the game at 10.
It wasn’t long before the Steelers had possession again, forcing a three-and-out to set up shop at the Los Angeles 41 following a punt. However, that field position went to waste when Fields had his pass tipped up in the air and picked off by Bud Dupree.
Boswell later put Pittsburgh ahead 13-10 with a 30-yarder with 14:14 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Neither team had a first down until Herbert found Ladd McConkey for a 13-yard gain with 4:56 left in the first quarter.
That got Los Angeles’ offense in motion, and the Chargers cashed in four plays later when Herbert hit Quentin Johnston near the left sideline for a 27-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Pittsburgh answered with a 13-play, 70-yard march that ended with Fields’ 5-yard scamper to the end zone.
Cameron Dicker made good on a 28-yard field goal to put Los Angeles up 10-7 with 3:13 left in the second quarter.
–Field Level Media