Ageless Antonio Gates Continues to Shine as Chargers' Primary Weapon

The San Diego Chargers didn't get the result they were looking for when their Week 5 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers ended—they did lose 24-20 after all. What they did get, though, was a superb performance out of tight end Antonio Gates.

After serving a four-game suspension for PED use, tight end Antonio Gates returned to action for the Bolts and reminded the entire league that he can still ball, even at the ripe old age of 35!

Coming into Week 5, the oldest player to catch a pass this season was Steve Smith Sr.—he's 36. Gates slots in right behind him, though, along with Anquan Boldin and Ben Watson. 

Gates is one of the oldest tight ends in the league, but somehow, the former college basketball standout has managed to carve out a niche as the San Diego Chargers' primary weapon on offense. 

Despite a four-week forced vacation, Gates assimilated right back into the offense and worked out a nine-catch, 92-yard, two-touchdown performance. This shouldn't come as any surprise, though, as Gates and quarterback Philip Rivers are the most prolific QB-TE combo in NFL history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

It was evident early on that Gates was going to be a major part of the Chargers' game plan. On the opening drive, the former All-Pro hauled in three catches for 34 yards and a touchdown, which gave the Chargers an early 7-0 lead.

That touchdown was also a milestone for Gates, the 100th of his illustrious NFL career.

Each of those 100 touchdowns is a testament to Gates' longevity and freakish ability as a pass-catching tight end. In fact, with that first-quarter TD, the 13-year veteran became just the ninth player in NFL history with 100 touchdown receptions, and just the second tight end to accomplish that feat.

Following the opening drive, Gates pulled a little bit of a disappearing act—he garnered just one target in the next four drives—and the offense sputtered, gaining a total of 12 yards on said four drives.

Gates bounced back, though, and Rivers looked to him to help bring the team back into the game. After going without a reception in four consecutive drives, Gates went on to contribute at least one catch in all but two of the team's final seven drives.

One of those drives resulted in an 11-yard touchdown reception (Gates' second of the game) that gave the Chargers a 17-10 lead.

Gates was the team's primary target, and Rivers went to him in several pressure-filled situations—the two touchdown catches and a third down come to mind almost immediately. What was most impressive about Gates' performance on this night, though, was the fact that he did most of his damage without the threat of a solid run game.

The Steelers bottled up the running back duo of Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead, allowing just 52 yards on 19 carries. Despite all that, Gates racked up the targets—and the receptions, yardage and touchdowns—and did everything he could to keep his Chargers in the game.

The only thing missing from his impressive return to action was a home victory for the Chargers.

Follow Tyler Duma on Twitter! Follow @TylerDuma