Chargers season ends in Pittsburgh

It was nearing 8 o’clock eastern standard time when the divisional playoff game between San Diego and Pittsburgh was almost over, but for the Chargers it was about to strike twelve. Their Cinderella story, this 8-8 team that had roared back from a 4-8 start to make the post season, was over. After winning what was an elimination game in the season’s finale against Denver and stunning the Indianapolis Colts in the wild card round, the Chargers fell to the Steelers 35-24. In the end the Chargers were just too banged up and too overmatched by the team wearing black and gold.

Things started off well enough for San Diego as they were the first to draw blood. It took the Chargers only four plays on the game’s opening possession to gain the lead. On a 1 st and 10 from the Pittsburgh 41 yard line Phillip Rivers heaved a deep pass downfield which was caught by Vincent Jackson for the touchdown. The capacity crowd at Heinz Field was stunned by the quickness of the score, but they wouldn’t stay that way for long as the Steelers would soon get even with a shocking play of their own. After failing to score on their initial drive and then forcing the Chargers to go three and out, Santonio Holmes took a Scifres punt 67 yards for a game tying TD.

After the Holmes return the defenses took over and dominated on both sides until late in the half. Neither team was able to do much of anything on offense until the Chargers finally managed to get in position for a field goal that put them back in the lead at the two minute warning. But the Steelers were quick to respond just as they were in the first quarter. With the two minute drill in effect, Roethlisberger got his team moving, connecting on four out of six passes for 78 yards and set Pittsburgh up at the San Diego three yard line. Willie Parker finished it up with a three yard run for the touchdown, and the Steelers went into the half with their first lead of the game, 14-10.

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The Steelers got right back to work on the opening drive of the second half. They drove the ball starting from their own 23 yard line using a perfect balance of six running plays and six passing plays. The drive took nearly eight minutes off the clock and ended with an eight yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Heath Miller. Pittsburgh increased its lead to 21-10 and left the Chargers defense exhausted and frustrated. But things were only beginning to unravel for the Bolts.

Trying to answer the fourteen straight points racked up by Pittsburgh, the Chargers began to make one mistake after another, starting with Rivers throwing an interception on the first play of the ensuing drive. The San Diego defense held, but Eric Weddle muffed the subsequent punt, the ball bounced off his helmet, and Pittsburgh got the ball right back. The Steelers advanced to the Chargers one yard line where once again the San Diego defense stood up, stuffing Carey Davis on a 4 th and goal. It was a huge play at the time but would matter little as the Chargers offense couldn’t move the ball beyond their own two. Scifres’ punt set the Steelers up at about mid field, but another costly error by Weddle, pass interference, gave Pittsburgh a free 44 yards and placed the ball back on the Chargers one yard line. And this time Gary Russell took it in for the score and a 28-10 lead.

San Diego scrambled to get back in the game and scored a touchdown on a four yard pass from Rivers to Naanee, which trimmed the lead to 28-17 with nine minutes remaining in regulation. There was still a chance for the Chargers to pull of a comeback, something they had become very adept at doing during the regular season, but the Steelers snuffed it out. Pittsburgh put together another nine play 73 yard drive that resulted in a touchdown and wiped five more minutes off the clock. The lead was 35-17 and the game, although not over, was out of reach for San Diego. The Chargers would add another touchdown to get the score to 35-24 in the waning moments, but there would be no comeback on this cold snowy day in the steel city.

This weekend’s games saw three road teams win, but the Chargers couldn’t make it a fourth. Still in all they gave their fans something to root for down the stretch of the season and into the second round of the playoffs. The Chargers should hold their heads high not only because of what they accomplished but also and especially because they never gave up all year long even when it looked like they didn’t have a chance.

By Steven Mondelli
ProFootball-fans.com San Diego Chargers Correspondent