The Pittsburgh Steelers were forced to play without Ben Roethlisberger last Sunday due to a positive COVID-19 test, and as a result of his absence, their offense struggled in a stunning 16-16 tie against the winless Detroit Lions.
Whether or not Roethlisberger is cleared to return to the field this weekend -- he must be asymptomatic for 48 hours and also produce two negative tests 24 hours apart -- Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith still believes that they're championship contenders.
"We know what type of team we can be. We know we have the team to make a run to the Super Bowl this season," Highsmith told The Zach Gelb Show on Thursday. "We haven't played a complete game yet, and I feel like we're going to do that soon. Even though we didn't do that against the Lions, we felt that we put together a great week of practice this week.
"So, looking forward to playing a great game this week against the Chargers... We've just got to continue to get better. I like to always say, get one-percent better every day and week. We know the talent we have in our locker room... The road gets really narrow starting in November -- that's what Coach Tomlin always says. So, your best football needs to start being played right now."
Steelers backup quarterback Mason Rudolph is preparing to start against the Los Angeles Chargers in primetime on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. The 26-year-old, thrust into the starting job against Detroit, was unable to create a rhythm, as he completed 30 of 50 passes for 242 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Although the Steelers' defense limited the Lions to just two touchdowns, they allowed a whopping 229 rushing yards. According to ESPN, this was only the ninth time in 51 years that the Steelers allowed 200-plus yards on the ground at home. Through nine games, Pittsburgh ranks 13th in the league in average yards allowed and 25th in average rushing yards, but eighth in average points.
Pittsburgh (5-3-1) and Los Angeles (5-4) are scheduled to kick off at 8:25 ET on Sunday night. According to FiveThirtyEight projections, the Steelers have a 39-percent chance to make the playoffs and a 17-percent chance to win the AFC North.
The entire conversation between Highsmith and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.