Steelers 2015 Schedule: An early look at the San Diego Chargers

A look at all of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2015 opponents, one team a day, leading up to free agency and the 2015 NFL Draft.

The San Diego Chargers were a game away from being in the 2014 postseason, but they fell short and allowed the Baltimore Ravens to sneak into the playoffs as a result. The Chargers still have some solid pieces of their puzzle entering 2015, but the roster is riddled with question marks at key positions which could very much alter their approach to free agency and the draft.

San Diego Chargers

2014: 9-7 (3rd Place AFC West), 2-4 within the AFC West, 6-6 within the AFC

2014 vs. the Steelers: Did not play

Potential Free Agents: WR Seyi Ajirotutu, RB Ronnie Brown, G Jeromey Clary, T King Dunlap, CB Brandon Flowers, LB Dwight Freeney, LB Andrew Gachkar, S Marcus Gilchrist, C Nick Hardwick, G Doug Legursky, DE Ricardo Mathews, RB Ryan Mathews, P Matt McBriar, C Rich Ohrnberger, WR Eddie Royal, T Willie Smith, C Shareece Wright, G Trevor Robinson (RFA).

2015 NFL Draft: 17th selection

The Chargers are a team which seems to have it's ups and downs throughout the season, but their fluctuations seem to be much more dramatic than most. When they are good, they are almost unbeatable, but when they are bad, it can be atrocious.

Much of the inconsistency of the team is somewhat centered around their franchise quarterback Philip Rivers. Rivers, selected in 2004 the same year as Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning, has always been a hot-and-cold player capable of so much, yet delivers so little. Rivers had his Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates back in 2014, and the tandem continued to pile up yards and touchdowns at an alarming rate. Outside of Gates, Rivers' weapons stop at Malcom Floyd who led the team in receiving yards.

The weapons stop there as the Chargers didn't have a receiver catch for 1,000 yards, and only one running back, Branden Oliver, rushed for over 500 yards. In other words, the Chargers' offense needs help.

Defensively, the Chargers weren't much better than the offense. They were great at stopping opposing passers as they ranked 4th in the NFL against the pass, but couldn't stop the run as they ranked 26th against the run. The Chargers defense could be simplified into the fact their safety Eric Weddle led the team in tackles with 114. Whether you run a 4-3 or a 3-4, your safeties shouldn't be leading the team in tackles.

With that said, the Chargers will be hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015 in one of two cross-country voyages for the black and gold. Anytime Roethlisberger goes against Rivers or Manning, he seems to amp up his game in a sense to prove he should have been drafted higher than the other two quarterbacks. Nonetheless, this game could be a shootout between these two gun slingers and will be a matchup the Steelers most likely are favored, even on the road.