At Acrisure Stadium on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers turned in a memorable performance in a 20-10 win over the L.A. Chargers which epitomized the storied history of this franchise during the past half century. For the third consecutive week, the Steelers defense smothered the opposing offense, surrendering only three points during the game’s final three quarters, while hounding Justin Herbert unmercifully and forcing him to the sidelines late in the third quarter.

Herbert’s backup, Taylor Heinicke, fared no better, as he was sacked three times in the fourth quarter — dispelling any thoughts of a comeback. The defense notched a total of five sacks, including two by Nick Herbig and one each for Heyward, T.J. Watt and Elandon Roberts.

When the Black-and-Gold are playing what long-time fans recognize as “Steelers football” — as they did on Sunday — they break the will of their opponent as the game wears on. This is precisely what happened to the Chargers after halftime. During the entire second half, the Chargers were never able to muster any significant offense against the aggressive Steelers defense and they finished the half underwater with a total of -5 yards.

Patrick Queen had a standout performance in notching a team-leading eight tackles, four of which were solo. DeShon Elliott and Donte Jackson were tied for second place in the tackling derby with five each. If not for a blown secondary coverage which allowed the Chargers’ only TD on a 27-yard Herbert pass to Quentin Johnston in the first quarter, the Steelers defensive dominance would have been even greater.

As outstanding as the defense was on Sunday, it was the Steelers offense which raised the most eyebrows. After a very sluggish start, the offense rebounded during the second quarter and continued to impress in the second half. Justin Fields began showing sharper coordination with his receivers — most notably with Calvin Austin III, George Pickens, backup WR Scotty Miller and Pat Freiermuth — each of whom made key catches. Austin sealed the win with his 55-yard catch-and-run when a bullet from Fields hit him in stride on a crossing route in the fourth quarter.

Fields notched 245 yards passing in the game and a 96.0 rating. His lone interception occurred on a deflected pass intended for Cordarrelle Patterson midway through the third quarter. Perhaps most notably, Fields was successful without needing to demonstrate any of his trademark running ability. In a very promising development, Justin showed precisely the kind of patience he’ll need to develop into a complete NFL quarterback.

While the Steelers didn’t run the ball particularly well until later in the game, Najee Harris had an impressive performance — consistently gaining the tough yards necessary to sustain drives. Harris notched 28 carries for 70 yards (3.9-yd avg.) — and none of these yards was easy. Najee is a workhorse RB who remains a crucial part of the Steelers offense. While Jaylen Warren was practically invisible on Sunday, it seems only a matter of time before OC Arthur Smith implements more plays designed to take advantage of Warren’s unique talents.

The OL also showed steady improvement during the game and, by the fourth quarter, they were imposing their will on a gassed Chargers defense. For the most part and except for a couple of whiffed blocks, the OL provided Fields with adequate protection in passing situations.

Most importantly, this game delivers a huge boost of confidence to Steelers Nation. For the first time in this young season, we’ve seen the Steelers demonstrate the potential to become a team on the rise rather than merely a flash in the pan. Defensively, the Steelers clearly have the talent to make life difficult for any NFL offense. Finally, the offense appears to be showing signs that its best performances might be coming in the weeks ahead as the team continues to gel. Sitting atop their division at 3-0, the Steelers currently are in the process of winning the battle of September football by stacking early-season wins. These wins will loom large in playoff scenarios as the year unfolds.

On Sunday in Pittsburgh, we saw a tough, gritty Steelers team that simply refused to be denied. We watched what appeared to be a throwback group playing tough enough early in the game to set the stage for taking control of the game in the second half. We saw a hyped, home crowd at Acrisure waving their Terrible Towels and cheering an outstanding defense and what appeared to be a reborn offense. We noticed Head Coach Mike Tomlin wearing a broad smile on his face on the sidelines when his team seized control of the game in the second half. All in all, this seemed very much like old times in the City of Champions.