AFC Playoffs Wild Card Round
Chargers 25, Steelers 23
The Chargers came into Hines field as a slight favorite, but with only a tie separating these two teams in the standings fans expected a good game and did they ever get one!
The Steelers received the ball to start the game and were marching down the field but the Chargers bend but don't break defense held them to 3 - which would be a common theme. The Chargers managed only one first down on their drive before being forced to punt as Rivers failed to get in a rhythm early, ending the 1st quarter at a surprising 3-0 in a game many expected to be a shootout.
The Steelers drove the length of the field again on their next possession, but a goal line stand held the Steelers to another FG. With the game already under 2 minutes and the Chargers scoreless, they looked to score on their drive to take a halftime lead but disaster struck when Buster Davis fumbled on the kickoff. The Steelers managed another 3 after the turnover to go up 9-0. It was put up or shut up time for the Chargers, and Rivers responded by orchestrating a long drive culminating in a 47 yard TD to Gates. The Steelers had a chance to kick a FG from the 40 to end the half but elected to throw to the endzone, where the ball fell incomplete. The home team took a 9-7 lead into the locker room, but can't have been happy in settling for 3 FGs.
The Chargers got the ball to start the half and marched right down the field. The Steelers almost held them to 3 but Rivers connected with Jackson on 3rd-and-6 for a 17 yard TD. They elected to go for 2 and converted, Rivers to Floyd, giving them a 15-9 lead. The Steelers wasted no time in responding on the next drive, as Big Ben finally broke through by finding Sanders in the flat who took it for a 54 yard TD to put the Steelers back up 16-15.
The Chargers took it down the field again to start the 4th but this time were denied the TD, settling for 3 to put them back on top in this see-saw contest. Disaster struck on the next drive for Pitt as Sanders fumbled after a catch, and Strickland recovered for the Chargers with 3:10 remaining. The Chargers ran on the first play but on the second after seeing straight run coverage audibled into a pass and Rivers found Jackson again for a 31 yard score, to make it a two score game at 25-16. The Steelers did manage to drive the field and punch it in on a Mendenhall run with 1:36 remaining. But with no timeouts left, they needed to recover the onside kick but instead kicked it too short and drew a penalty, allowing Rivers to kneel it out for the squeaker win.
Rivers was his usual excellent self, going 13-18 for 210 yards and 3 scores. Gates caught 4 balls for 106 and a score and Jackson added 4 catches of his own for 64 yards and 2 big 2nd half touchdowns. Matthews was a non-factor, rushing only 5 times for 19 yards.
Big Ben was 14-19 for 257 and a score. Emmanuel Sanders did most of the work through the air with 153 yards and a TD. Mendenhall rushed 20 times for 93 yards and a score.
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It was an awesome game, I thought I was buried after that fumbled kickoff (I could have sworn I saw my guy fall on it, but it wasn't challengable under 2 minutes). Getting the TD before the half was huge, going into the locker room 9-0 I would have lost for sure.
I hear you on the injuries, I feel like I'm patching together a team at times too - losing Moss and Jammer would kill me for the next round, though looking at the injury report neither of them seem to be on it yet - shocking considering they both got carted off.
Good luck next year, you'll have a chance to avenge the loss during the regular season!
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