The Los Angeles Chargers‘ gargantuan 26-3 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 saw them maintain their winning streak. From what the Chargers’ head coach Jim Harbaugh had to say, part of that success is attributable to their mindset. The coach said the team somehow managed to treat both games as “openers“. Essentially, the Chargers treated the Week 1 Las Vegas Raiders game as a Home opener, and the Week 2 Panthers game as an Away opener.

You might be scratching your head at that. An opener’s an opener right? But if it helps the Chargers, so be it. And for Week 3, the Chargers have another “opener” coming up. Jim Harbaugh, speaking to the press ahead of their Pittsburgh Steelers game, managed to make the atmosphere in the Chargers locker room seem lighthearted, all while acknowledging the reality of the challenge they would be facing.

“We’re actually playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. Onto Pittsburgh, let’s find out what we’re made of. Playoff team. Opener against playoff opponents, this week,” Jim Harbaugh said in his patented stream-of-consciousness delivery. Essentially, the “opener” mindset, which lets the Chargers take each game as it comes, is going to be carried forward to Pittsburgh.

Yet at the same time, calling them a “playoff team” means Harbaugh and co. understand the challenge they’re up against. In the last 5 seasons, the Steelers have made it to the playoffs 3 times, while the Chargers have only managed that same feat once in that time. So how much of a challenge are the Steelers, really?

Russell Wilson: The missing cog?

Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson has been out of the picture with a calf injury this season so far. Benched by the Broncos last year for fear of invoking the injury clause in his contract, the 35-year-old hasn’t had any game time since near the end of the 2023 season. Further, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was eyeing Wilson as his “pole position” for the quarterback role. Now that he’s out, 25-year-old Justin Fields has slotted into the team neatly.

Leading the Steelers to two consecutive wins, the QB has proven he’s got a steady head on his shoulders. The 18-10 Atlanta Falcons win to begin with, then the 13-6 Denver Broncos win have earned him the respect of his teammates. So the Chargers will be facing a comprehensive unit, even without Russeell Wilson at the helm, and Harbaugh is wise to be cautious.