Steelers vs. Chargers: What's the Game Plan for San Diego?

The San Diego Chargers, fresh off a 30-27 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 4, get set to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.

And with game day fast approaching, here's this week's game plan for San Diego.

Offensive Game Plan

The Steelers are one of only 10 defensive units allowing less than 20 points per game this season (18.8). And although the Chargers offense ranks third in yards per game (411), it doesn't score very many points (24 per game).

But with Antonio Gates back operating at tight end, the offense should see an uptick in scoring. Gates, the Chargers' career leader in touchdown receptions with 99, is Philip Rivers' go-to in the red zone and on third down.

And with the receiving corps dealing with injuries stemming from last week's game, Gates will be relied upon for immediate production in the passing game. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich was asked during Thursday's news conference (courtesy of Chargers.com) what he foresees Gates' role being in his first game back from suspension:

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Hoping he comes in and makes an immediate impact. How many plays he plays is hard to tell at this point. You have a number in your mind, a range in your mind. You certainly don't want him playing every snap, but you want him to be in there enough to get his touches and make the impact that a guy like that can have. So, we'll see how it goes.

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Also expected to help move the ball through the air is fourth-year tight end Ladarius Green, who, in Gates' absence, had 14 receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns in three games played. One possibility for Monday's game could be to have Gates and Green on the field at the same time, presenting the opposing defense with two difficult one-on-one matchups in the secondary. Reich was asked if there was more thought to getting Gates and Green on the field together:

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That's the great thing about the players that we have. We have playmakers at every position and all over the field that really complement one another, so we really want to mix it up in our personnel groups to get different guys playing together, to keep the defenses guessing as much as you can. How are they going to match up? Do they play man, zone? If they play man, how do they match up when this group is in there versus when that group is in there? So, when you have playmakers at all the positions that really helps us to go in and try to develop plays to give them the best chance to win.

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At the running back position, Melvin Gordon continues to be kept on a tight leash, averaging 14 carries per game. But with Danny Woodhead flourishing in his role as the complementary back, there has been no need to overwhelm the rookie with a full workload. And while Gordon is still searching for his first career touchdown, he might not get it against the Steelers, who have allowed just one rushing touchdown in eight consecutive regular-season games.

Pittsburgh is also quite good at rushing the quarterback, totaling 14 sacks over the last four games. Defensive end Stephon Tuitt leads the Steelers with 3.5 and he's been their best pass-rusher with a grade of plus-5.1, according to Pro Football Focus. Also worth keeping an eye on in that department are linebackers Bud Dupree (2 sacks) and Arthur Moats (1.5 sacks) as well as stud defensive end Cameron Heyward (2 sacks).

San Diego's offensive line will be tested to keep Rivers upright, especially with the amount of injuries it has sustained in recent weeks. It doesn't seem likely that left tackle King Dunlap (concussion) or left guard Orlando Franklin (ankle) will play based on their lack of participation in practice this week, and center Chris Watt (groin) and right guard D.J. Fluker (ankle) are iffy with lingering injuries.

Expect the offensive game plan to look similar to what it was last week against the Browns, only with a little more emphasis put on establishing the running game. The Chargers threw the ball 38 times in a shootout with Cleveland, and while it worked then, it's not a foolproof method to winning games in the NFL.

Defensive Game Plan

With Ben Roethlisberger still sidelined with a knee injury, the Chargers are preparing for the Pittsburgh offense led by experienced veteran Michael Vick. In this week's edition of Chargers Insider, defensive coordinator John Pagano was asked how having Vick in there changes the dynamic of the Steelers offense: 

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Well, you see a little bit of changes to the offense. The biggest change is probably from a right-handed quarterback to a left-handed quarterback, but the offense is still the offense how they're going to run it. They probably created more things for Michael to do unlike what Ben did, so you have to be prepared for all those things. Ben was a very mobile quarterback in the pocket. He's somebody that's very hard to get down, and now you add the speed of Michael running around in the backfield, it makes it more of a challenge. The offense is still going to be the same. They want to run the football, they're going to take the vertical shots to their receivers and do those things. So, preparing for this offense is what you've seen through the first four games.

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Vick, who had just two practice days to prepare for last Thursday's game against the Ravens, should have a better understanding of Todd Haley's offense with the benefit of a 10 days to prepare. Said Vick, per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: 

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Man, it feels so much better, just having more time in practice, more time to build chemistry and learn the offense. These days are valuable, and I’m trying to take advantage of it from start to finish. It’s been a very productive two days, and I’m looking forward to another productive two days.

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At Vick's disposal is a multitude of weapons beginning with arguably the best receiver in football in Antonio Brown, who led the league in receptions (129) and yards (1,698) last season. And returning from a four-game suspension this week is talented second-year receiver Martavis Bryant, who caught eight touchdown passes and averaged 21.1 yards per catch in his rookie year. Also contributing to the passing game is former first-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey (15 receptions, 185 yards, 2 TDs) and tight end Heath Miller (13 receptions, 117 yards, 1 TD).

In Pittsburgh's backfield resides quite possibly the best running back in the NFL in Le'Veon Bell. Pagano was asked on Chargers Insider what he's seen from the 23-year-old:

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He's unbelievable. He's a game-wrecker. He's a matchup nightmare for us at times where he's so patient when he's running the football. He has great vision and he's got great start-and-stop ability, and it's something we've got to make an emphasis of. We haven't done real well against the run. I think we've done well at times, we just haven't been consistent enough against the run. So, it's something that we got to put a total focus on of being able to really put an emphasis on stopping the run this week against a great runner and against a great offensive line.

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And on top of being a great runner, Bell is also a fine pass-catcher. He caught 83 passes for 854 yards last season, and he's caught seven passes in the last two games for Pittsburgh. San Diego's linebackers struggled with Browns running back Duke Johnson Jr. in pass coverage last week (9 receptions, 85 yards, 1 TD), and Bell could be just as difficult, if not more, to defend one-on-one on pass patterns.

As for which lucky cornerback gets the assignment of shadowing Brown, it's hard to say. Brandon Flowers. who left last Sunday's game early with a concussion, has been a full participant in practice whereas Jason Verrett has been limited with a foot injury. Playing behind them is Steve Williams and Patrick Robinson, who Pagano raved about in Thursday's news conference (courtesy of Chargers.com), describing him as the definition of a professional football player.

The game plan on defense should focus on containing Bell, and that starts with tackling, which the Chargers haven't done a good job of at times. According to PFF, Bell has forced 10 missed tackles and accumulated 132 yards after contact in the last two games.

And while the Steelers are only averaging 5.1 yards per pass attempt with Vick under center, the threat of Brown making plays in the passing game is still real, and the same goes for the rest of the receiving corps. The secondary can't discount the Steelers' passing game because of who's throwing the ball. Vick is a capable backup, and with all the playmakers around him, he won't have to do much to lead the offense.

Key Matchups and Players to Watch

Chargers Offensive Line vs. Steelers Pass Rush: In a 3-4 defense, normally the outside linebackers generate most of the pass rush, but Pittsburgh's defensive ends get in on the action too. And with that in mind, all five starters on the offensive line (whomever that may be) have to be solid in pass protection. Last week, the group that was in did a nice job against the Browns, holding them to two sacks. Another performance like that would be considered a win against an aggressive Steelers defense.

Chargers Front Seven vs. Le'Veon Bell: San Diego has allowed two 100-yard rushers this season in Giovani Bernard (123) and Adrian Peterson (126), both of whom had 20 rushes. Being the bell cow he is, Bell should get that and possibly more as the Steelers are expected to lean on the run game with Roethlisberger out. Pagano said it best during Thursday's news conference (courtesy of Chargers.com): "You’ve got to go out and you have to tackle him. He is the type of guy who will lower his shoulders in the hole and you have to have a good base and great technique and fundamentals and we have to tackle."

Dontrelle Inman: With Johnson missing practice this week, Inman figures to be San Diego's third receiver for Monday night's game, but it'll be interesting to see where the Chargers play him. Johnson's spot has been in the slot, but Inman seems more like an outside type. In fact, if anybody plays in the slot, it might be Keenan Allen or possibly a tight end. Either way, Inman should get a bump in playing time. 

Denzel Perryman: The second-round pick out of Miami is slowly but surely cracking the rotation on defense after playing 13 snaps, per PFF, against the Browns. Perryman de-cleated Isaiah Crowell on a run play up the middle during last week's game, and you wonder why he's not out there more. Said Pagano:

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You see the production that he's doing on special teams. You see him growing into that position, and then you start working him into the mix of being able to get those reps. You're always looking for ways to get football players on the field, but if they're players that can go make plays and do the things that you're asking from them, you find ways to get them out there. He's progressing, and you still want to get those reps for him as much as you can and keep playing him in certain situations. 

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A physical presence such as Perryman would be a welcomed asset on defense going up against an equally physical running back in Bell.

Prediction

It comes down to quarterback play and who's able to do more with the offense they have. While Vick is no slouch, he's certainly not better than Rivers. And for that reason I'm picking the Chargers to win at home. 

Predicted Score: Chargers 27 Steelers 20