The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Tennessee Titans 27-20 on Sunday, improving to 6-3 and holding firm at second place in the AFC West behind the Denver Broncos. However, star tackle Joe Alt was carted off the field after suffering what looked to be another brutal high ankle sprain, after a Titans defender flew at high speed directly into the right ankle that Alt injured against the New York Giants.

Right tackle Bobby Hart also went down with what the team is calling groin and ankle injuries (even though the video would have everyone believing it was a knee injury). Here are a couple of important questions after what was an overall ugly and disheartening win in the Music City.

What is wrong with the run defense?

Overall, the numbers weren’t terrible on the day. Los Angeles surrendered 88 yards on 19 carries — an average of 4.6 yards per carry. That YPC is just not great by any means against the worst team in football.

The defense isn’t dealing with any injuries of note that would impact the run defense specifically. The Chargers just look like a team that needs more strength in the trenches on both sides of the ball right now. Their edges are locked down when healthy — on both sides — but on the interior, they just get pushed around. That feels strange given that Teair Tart and Jamaree Caldwell have both played at a high level throughout this season.

It feels like the edge rushers just aren’t equipped to be excellent run stoppers, allowing teams to clear them out and run between the tackles or keep them from setting the edge and break runs outside. At the second level, players simply aren’t tackling. It’s almost inexplicable, but it’s true.

Whatever it may be, it needs to get fixed fast. Tennessee is quite literally the opposite of a litmus test. Keep playing this way against even slightly below-average opponents and watch the losses pile up.

Do the Chargers have any shot against Pittsburgh?

Looking at this objectively, it’s hard to feel like the Chargers have any shot to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers if they go into this game without their two starting tackles again.

After seeing Pittsburgh completely stunt the Indianapolis Colts — who were playing the best offense in the league and also have one of the best offensive lines in football — there’s honestly no world in which fans should feel confident in this primetime matchup going well. This has the script of a national embarrassment in the making, where Herbert’s biggest critics will get every chance to take their swings at him because of the atrocious state of the offensive line.

Do I hope to eat my words here? Absolutely. The Steelers aren’t some unbeatable juggernaut by any means. But with where the Chargers currently find themselves, this game just feels like it’s already been written.

Let’s wait for official news on both tackles, but we all know both of them will likely miss Sunday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Only time will tell what Greg Roman can cook up to stop Herbert from getting punished.

This win was extremely bittersweet. Moving to 6-3 is obviously great, but Los Angeles now faces season-long question marks after losing their most impactful offensive lineman and another player who was carving out a solid role after being practically out of the league.

Onto Pittsburgh on Sunday night — the Bolts are going to need all the help they can get to come out of that one with a win.