Steelers Should Definitely Have A Key Advantage Against Chargers For Sunday Night Football

After a big-time win over the AFC-leading Indianapolis Colts last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers will now travel to face the 6-3 Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night. A win here, and the Steelers may very well be back in the Super Bowl conversation. Road wins in the NFL do not come easy, however. The NFL has only been back in L.A. for a decade, but in the Chargers' case, it has been only nine years. That means the fan base is not as packed as it is in places such as Pittsburgh or Green Bay. 

As the Steelers prepare to face the Chargers in SoFi Stadium, they might actually be playing with something of a homefield advantage. Below is what Steelers insider Mark Kaboly had to say via Kaboly + Mack about the Steelers playing in front of potentially what might feel like a home crowd on Sunday night.

"It's going to be a pro-Steelers crowd. (The Chargers) might have to go to a silent count," Kaboly said. "You would imagine that the pressure is going to be there (on the Chargers)."

If Steelers fans can show up in droves, perhaps the players, particularly on defense, can create problems for Chargers star quarterback Justin Herbert. There is no other fan base in the league like the one in Pittsburgh. Steelers fans have the power to take over any stadium and make all the noise in the world. Seeing as SoFi Stadium is one of the elite and more recently built indoor stadiums in the league, the noise will likely be very evident on Sunday night. After a resurgent performance on defense against the Colts, the fans from the Steel City will likely show up extra fired up. Expect Head Coach Mike Tomlin and his players to feed off of that energy.

Steelers Crowd Can Affect Justin Herbert 

While Herbert can be one of the more electric signal-callers in the game when he is at his best and most comfortable, he tends to take some careless chances with the football. Through nine games, the former Oregon star has already thrown eight interceptions and fumbled twice. Still, the Bolts are currently the fifth-best offense in the league when it comes to total yardage (374.8 yards per game). This is an offense that loves to push the ball down the field. However, with starting running back Omarion Hampton out again this week for Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and co., the Chargers will possibly put this game on Herbert's shoulders. If Pittsburgh fans can bring the crazy crowd noise into the building, it could be a long evening for Herbert and the Chargers.

What should give the Steelers' defense confidence is their last performance. Last Sunday against the Colts, who were the top offense in the league heading into the game, Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin called a very strong game. His defense forced the Colts into a ridiculous six turnovers. It was the most turnovers that a Mike Tomlin-coached team had forced since the 2010 season. Not only did Pittsburgh go after the football, but it shut down quarterback Daniel Jones and MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor. Jones was sacked five times and was forced into throwing three interceptions. Taylor was held to just 45 yards on the ground and an average of 3.2 yards per carry. 

Heading into this game against Los Angeles, the Steelers will face a Chargers team that is without its star running back as mentioned earlier. That is why their offensive scheme could be a lot more predictable in primetime. If the Steelers cannot stop a hurt Chargers squad after what they did to Indianapolis last week, it could be considered a real failure on the part of every player and coach involved.

#SteelerNation