Steelers vs. Chargers: Full San Diego Game Preview
The San Diego Chargers make their Monday Night Football debut in Week 5 against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.
San Diego (2-2) won a thriller last Sunday, edging the Cleveland Browns, 30-27, in a bizarre finish at Qualcomm Stadium. With the game tied at 27-27 and 2:03 remaining, the Chargers marched down the field to set up the potential game-winning field goal from 39 yards for rookie kicker Josh Lambo. His kick sailed just wide of the uprights as time expired, but the Browns were called for offsides, and Lambo was given a second attempt from 34 yards, which he made to avoid overtime.
Pittsburgh (2-2) was also involved in a dramatic finish last week, only the Steelers were not as fortunate to come away with the win. Hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football in the first game without injured star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers got out in front to a 20-7 lead in the third quarter, only to watch it fade away as the Ravens scored 13 unanswered points to force overtime. Then, after two unsuccessful drives by Pittsburgh, Justin Tucker kicked the game-winning field goal from 52 yards to earn Baltimore its first win of the season.
The Steelers and Chargers have split the last four games in the series, three of which were played in Pittsburgh. For more on this prime-time matchup, click ahead.
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
Time: 5:30 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN
Week 4 Results and Recap
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| AFC West Standings | Wins | Losses | Ties |
| Denver Broncos | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Oakland Raiders | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| San Diego Chargers | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Facing a must-win game after two consecutive road losses, the Chargers could ill-afford to lose at home against the Browns. And although it wasn't pretty, they managed to find a way.
San Diego took its biggest lead of the game at 27-19 with 7:26 to play in the fourth quarter after Philip Rivers hit John Phillips in the back of the end zone on a play-action fake near the goal line. On the ensuing drive, Josh McCown led Cleveland on a 10-play, 67-yard scoring drive capped off by Gary Barnidge's touchdown reception.
Needing a two-point conversion to tie the game at 27-27, McCown tossed a strike to Taylor Gabriel, who lunged into the end zone, and just like that, the Browns were back in it. Down to two receivers and playing behind a depleted offensive line, Rivers connected on passes of 17 and eight yards, and Danny Woodhead broke a 19-yard run to move the ball into Cleveland territory.
The Chargers called timeout with two seconds left and trotted out Lambo, who missed his first attempt from 39 yards but made the second from 34 yards after an offsides penalty on the Browns. With the win, San Diego managed to stay afloat in the AFC West, but the Broncos will be difficult to keep pace with after four straight wins on the season.
News and Notes
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Phillip Rivers Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week
Rivers was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the seventh time in his career, the team announced Wednesday. San Diego's quarterback passed for 358 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-27 win against the Browns on Sunday.
Antonio Gates Back from Suspension
Gates rejoined his teammates on Monday after serving a four-game ban for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The All-Pro tight end will make his season debut in prime time against the Steelers, seeking the 100th touchdown catch of his career.
The Chargers got good production out of backup tight end Ladarius Green, and with any luck, offensive coordinator Frank Reich will find a way to implement both in the game plan. Green totaled two touchdowns in three games played and proved to be a difficult matchup for most defenses.
Donald Brown Re-signed After Short-lived Release
Brown, San Diego's fourth running back yet to be activated this season, was released Saturday and then re-signed two days later. Most would have assumed the Chargers finally realized Brown's spot on the roster was a wasted one, but with the team so quick to re-sign him, that isn't the case. Brown's $3 million salary is guaranteed for the 2015 season, and yet he remains a healthy scratch every week.
Latest Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury |
| King Dunlap | OT | Concussion |
| Orlando Franklin | OG | Ankle |
| Stevie Johnson | WR | Hamstring |
| Jacoby Jones | WR/KR | Ankle |
| Craig Mager | CB | Hamstring |
| Tourek Williams | OLB | Foot |
| Jahleel Addae | SS | Ankle |
| D.J. Fuker | OG/OT | Ankle |
| Jason Verrett | CB | Foot |
| Chris Watt | C | Groin |
| Brandon Flowers | CB | Concussion |
| Malcom Floyd | WR | Concussion |
| Chris Hairston | OG/OT | Ankle |
All injury information courtesy of Chargers.com
The following players did not practice on Thursday: Dunlap, Franklin, Johnson, Jones, Mager and Williams. Limited participants included Addae, Fluker, Verrett and Watt. Flowers, Floyd and Hairston were full participants.
Player availabilities for Monday's game will be available Saturday via the team website. Check back then for more info.
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Key Matchups
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Chargers' Cornerbacks vs. Steelers' WR Antonio Brown
Brown is one of the best pass-catchers in the NFL, though not having Roethlisberger at quarterback last week made him look human. He caught five passes for 42 yards against the Ravens, snapping his 35-game streak of five passes and 50 yards.
With Michael Vick filling in under center for the Steelers, Brown's production will be limited, but the Chargers will still need to be wary of the Pro Bowl receiver. San Diego's starting corners have been banged up the last few weeks, so it's still up in the air as to who might cover Brown.
Chargers' Run Defense vs. Steelers' RB Le'Veon Bell
In his second game back from suspension, Bell produced 129 yards on 22 carries and scored a rushing touchdown against Baltimore. Pittsburgh's workhorse back has a favorable matchup going up against the poor run defense of the Chargers, and the Steelers will lean on him for offense with Roethlisberger out.
San Diego is giving up close to five yards per carry and 126.8 rushing yards per game this season. The last thing the defense wants is another Adrian Peterson-like performance from Bell, like the one it suffered two weeks ago.
Matchup X-Factor
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Chargers' X-Factor of the Week: Antonio Gates
There may be some rust to shake off when Gates takes the field for his first game of the 2015 season, but No. 85 looked like his old self during Wednesday's practice according to head coach Mike McCoy (courtesy of Chargers.com managing editor Ricky Henne)
"Obviously it’s great to have a player like Antonio Gates back. It looked like the old Antonio Gates running around out there…You can’t replace Antonio Gates. He’s one of the best of all time. I just think it’s great to see him back out there. The way he works and conditions every day, the way he runs his route with technique, it’s a great example for our football team how we want to work and do things.
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After allowing four touchdown catches to Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots in Week 1, the Steelers defense has held opposing tight ends in check and out of the end zone, but the Chargers' 1-2 punch of Gates and Green could end that trend. Gates shouldn't need very long to re-establish himself in an offense he's been the focal point of for quite some time now.
Prediction: Chargers 27, Steelers 20
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The Chargers get a break with Roethlisberger out, one they definitely need to capitalize on. Vick's not the worst option to have as a backup, but the reality is Pittsburgh's offense is handicapped without Roethlisberger. The Steelers' best bet is to unleash Bell on the Chargers defense and hope he does enough damage to set up scoring opportunities.
San Diego, meanwhile, has the difficult task of generating scoring against a stingy Pittsburgh defense, holding opponents to an average of 18.8 points on the season. Also worth noting is the Steelers' pass rush, which has the fourth-most sacks with 14.
The Chargers, still playing with fire late in games, need a dominant win on Monday, and the Steelers minus Roethlisberger give them a chance to do so.
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