This week's Classic Jurassic Meat-Eater Matchup brings a double-edged sword of twin pass rushers for the Los Angeles Chargers into Acrisure Stadium.
Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa are a pair of masters of disaster in their own right. Bosa checks in at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds and he's lean and mean. Holding up the other edge of the pass rush is another raptor-like QB hunter in Khalil Mack. Together they represent power and speed to chase down any opposing quarterback
The pair of Mack and Bosa combined, have totaled 168.5 career sacks together, and to top it off, they could mix things up and bring a familiar face in former Steelers OLB Bud Dupree (not to mention rising second-year player Tuli Tuipulotu). The Chargers will use Dupree much like the Steelers insert Nick Herbig into the lineup, either in relief, or in a 3-outside linebacker package.
Mack, standing 6-foot-3, 270 pounds and a three-helmet guy to this point, had perhaps his best season last year, putting up a career-best 17 QB sacks tying the Chargers' single-season mark. He also blew by the 100-sack milestone to total 103 career sacks.
Bosa, in his 9th year, all with the Chargers, is coming off an injury filled 2023 season, in which he had 6.5 sacks in 9 games.
Bosa is long, and twitchy. He has good snap anticipation and likes to get up the field. Using his long arm length, he will look to run the arc, choosing to use hand traps and long arm stabs as primary weapons of rush. Bosa also has the capability of using an effective arm-over, or swim move to the inside as a changeup if an OT oversets.
But just rushing the passer isn't the only thing he does well. Bosa is strong enough to set a formidable edge versus the run. With his arm length and a good lockout, he's more than capable of turning the wide zone into a cutback while holding the point. And when the run goes the way of his counterpoint edge setter, Bosa will squeeze to the ball or just flat out crash from the backside.
Mack also runs the arc, though he seems to throw in more bull rushes than Bosa. Mack will use a cross-hand chop, trying to knock down the outside arm of the OT, and use that to set up a spin that, I must say, isn't in the same caliber as Alex Highsmith's whirly bird.
Mack sets a strong edge as well, and similar to Bosa will on the backside of a run, squeeze his gap assignment to the ball. Though in his 11th year, Mack is speedy enough to rush the passer, yet quick enough to sprint to the ball, getting in on a tackle in the flats in the same play.
There's no doubt the combination of Bosa and Mack, along with Dupree, bring a lot of pass rushing and quarterback-hunting capabilities to Acrisure Stadium.
And, as they will switch sides, rather than just lining up on one side or the other, both offensive tackles for the Steelers will see them throughout the afternoon.
This game could well be determined by the edge rushers from both teams. It makes for a challenging, yet exciting, afternoon. It's a matchup that a home crowd at Acrisure, loud and deafening, can help the hometown pass rush by drowning out the snap count.
What say you, Steelers fans? Are you ready for some football?
