Steelers vs. Chargers: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes
The San Diego Chargers lost a heartbreaker to the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-20 on Monday Night Football. With five seconds remaining and the ball at the 1-yard line, Le'Veon Bell took a direct snap from the Wildcat formation and refused to be denied for the game-winning touchdown.
Bell finished with 111 yards on 21 carries for Pittsburgh (3-2). Mike Vick, starting a second straight game in place of injured Ben Roethlisberger, struggled in the first half against the Chargers but found his groove on a 72-yard touchdown strike to Markus Wheaton, which tied the game at 17-17 in the fourth quarter.
After Josh Lambo's 54-yard field goal put San Diego (2-3) ahead by three with 2:56 remaining, the Steelers drove 80 yards in 12 plays for the game-winning touchdown. Vick converted on third down three times to keep the drive alive, twice with his arm and another with his legs.
Although Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates hooked up twice for touchdowns, the Steelers' gamble to go for the win instead of the tie at the end of the game paid off handsomely. For more on the crushing loss, click next.
Position Grades for Chargers
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | B |
| RB | C+ |
| WR | C |
| TE | A |
| OL | D |
| DL | C+ |
| LB | B- |
| DB | B- |
| Special Teams | B |
| Coaching | C- |
Rivers went 35-of-48 for 365 yards and a pair of touchdown passes, but he had the interception returned for a touchdown in the third quarter—his third pick-six and seventh turnover on the season. Rivers took the blame for the interception during his postgame news conference (courtesy of Chargers.com), but Malcom Floyd appeared to drift upfield on the route instead of flattening out, which allowed Antwon Blake to cut in front of the receiver and make a play on the ball.
Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead had no running room, but they found a way to be useful by contributing in the passing game. Gordon had seven catches for 52 yards, and Woodhead had five for 66 yards.
With Stevie Johnson out, Dontrelle Inman joined Floyd and Keenan Allen for extensive playing time but didn't record a catch. Allen had six catches for 57 yards, and Floyd had three for 48 yards but was largely to blame for Rivers' pick-six.
Gates, playing in his first game back from suspension, didn't disappoint in his season debut, catching nine passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, including No. 100 for his career. And Ladarius Green chipped in five catches for 50 yards.
The offensive line was flagged for holding five times and again for a false start. Rivers was sacked twice and there were no holes for the backs. Injuries played a part, but what else is new with this group?
On the defensive line, Corey Liuget and Ricardo Mathews each got his first sack of the season. And while the D-line was good at times in closing up holes for Bell to run through, he eventually got going and reached the century mark for a second straight game.
Jerry Attaochu was all over the field with nine tackles, and so was Manti Te'o with eight tackles. Melvin Ingram put a big hit on Vick in the pocket but came up short of a sack. San Diego's linebackers totaled four quarterback hits.
In the secondary, Jason Verrett did a nice job shadowing Antonio Brown, holding him to three catches for 45 yards. Brandon Flowers, on the other hand, had it rough, as he was beat on numerous big plays, including the 72-yard touchdown to Wheaton. In four games played this season, Flowers has allowed five touchdowns in coverage.
Jimmy Wilson picked off a pass to end the first half, but at least three surefire interceptions were dropped in the Chargers secondary, which could have led to points on the other end.
On special teams, Lambo's only miss on field-goal tries was from 60 yards, which would have been the longest in team history. He did, however, set a new career long from 54 yards and made another from 40 yards.
As for coaching, John Pagano must have been pleased with his defense's first-half performance in holding the Steelers to only three points, but the fourth-quarter collapse was a turning point in the game. Offensively, the Chargers rolled up 404 yards but went 4-of-14 on third-down conversions
Gates Gets 100th Career Touchdown Catch
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Needing one more touchdown catch to become the ninth player in league history with 100, Gates reached the milestone on San Diego's opening drive, hauling in a 12-yard scoring strike from Rivers. He's the second tight end to get 100, joining former 17-year veteran Tony Gonzalez, who has 111.
As if getting 100 wasn't enough, Gates added another touchdown catch for good measure, capping off a big day in his return from suspension. The 35-year-old Gates had to come out a few plays to catch his breath, but he looked to be in good football shape after having been away for the first four weeks of the season.
Verrett Shuts Down Steelers' Playmaker
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Verrett made a lasting impression in prime time against the league's best receiver, holding Brown to just three catches for 45 yards. Wherever Brown went, Verrett followed. And aside from letting Brown get free for a 39-yard gain, Verrett did an admirable job in coverage, playing the Steelers wideout tough and making the immediate tackle when he got the ball.
Verrett had been limited in the previous three games with a lingering foot issue, but last year's first-round pick looked to be at his healthiest against the Steelers, which is a good sign for next week's game in Green Bay. The Packers have an equally talented receiver in Randall Cobb, who should give Verrett another challenge to take on.
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Already-Thin Offensive Line Gets Thinner with Injuries to Hairston and Watt
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The Chargers dressed eight offensive linemen for Monday's game, and all eight were needed as injuries continue to be an issue up front.
Left tackle Chris Hairston, starting in place of injured King Dunlap (concussion), left in the first half with an ankle injury and did not return. That moved Joe Barksdale from right tackle to left tackle and Kenny Wiggins from left guard to right tackle.
Chris Watt, who took over at left guard for Wiggins, was also injured in the first half and did not return after suffering a head injury. J.D. Walton took over for him at left guard despite playing only center his entire career.
Barksdale and D.J. Fluker were also injured but managed to finish the game.
Qualcomm Stadium Taken over by the Opposing Fanbase
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The deafening roars of Pittsburgh fans were clearly heard during Monday's broadcast, so much so that it didn't seem like a home game for the Chargers. Said Rivers during his postgame news conference (courtesy of Chargers.com): "It was a tough environment tonight. It was like being on the road."
Opposing fanbases tend to show up well at Chargers home games, and with support dwindling because of relocation talk, it's not surprising that Steelers fans made up a majority of the crowd. San Diego fans are finding it hard to get on board with a team strongly considering the move to Los Angeles, and it's only a matter of time before they stop showing up.
Too Many Opportunities
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Said McCoy during his postgame news conference (courtesy of Chargers.com): "We gave a very good football team too many opportunities."
Those opportunities McCoy spoke of came on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Chargers weren't able to capitalize on the defensive stops made by Pagano's unit early on. Pittsburgh was forced to punt on five of its seven first-half drives, and all San Diego had to show for it was one touchdown. Then in the second half, the offense had two turnovers, one of which was converted for seven points.
On defense, the breakdown in the fourth quarter led to two scores, with one drive spanning 20 seconds and the other less than three minutes. And as for the last play of the game, Bell was almost stopped shy of the end zone, but he was able to keep his balance and fight through contact for the score. Had he been stopped short, the clock might have run out and the Chargers would have escaped with the win.
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