Bolts drop close one in Pittsburgh

Adjust font size

Monday, Nov 17, 2008
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com

For the third time this season, the Chargers saw a fourth-quarter lead erased by an opponent’s score in the final 30 seconds of a game.

After the Chargers too a 10-8 lead with 6:41 remaining in their Week 11 contest at Pittsburgh, the Steelers drove the length of the field and set up a 32-yard field goal that allowed Ben Roethlisberger and company to escape with a 11-10 victory in the snow.

“We thought it would be a game if we managed properly we’d have opportunities throughout the game and had opportunities in the fourth quarter to win the game,” Head Coach Norv Turner said. “We didn’t capitalize on those opportunities and they put together a great drive at the end to win the game.”

The unusual score, which marked the first time in NFL history that a game finished with an 11-10 mark, was part of an afternoon that was a little wacky from the start.

The Chargers’ first drive of the day came to an end in wild fashion when a Philip Rivers pass bounced away from Vincent Jackson and Steelers safety Troy Polamalu made a diving interception attempt. Polamalu’s effort to get his hand under the ball and scoop it off the turf was ruled an interception. The Chargers challenged the ruling, but the play was upheld.

Fortunately for the Bolts, Pittsburgh was unable to capitalize as Jeff Reed’s 51-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.

Reed’s miss allowed the Chargers to get on the scoreboard first for the first time in five weeks. LaDainian Tomlinson’s three-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive, his first rushing score since Week 4 in Oakland, gave the Bolts a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Although the Steelers gained 410 total yards Sunday, the Chargers made them scratch and claw for every point they were able to muster. Pittsburgh made three trips to the red zone Sunday but were unable find the end zone. One such drive came late in the first quarter when the Steelers went for it on 4^th-and-goal from the one, only to see Brandon Siler and Quentin Jammer stand Mewelde Moore up at the two yard line and end the drive.

But Pittsburgh scored on their next series when linebacker James Harrison sacked Rivers in the end zone and forced a fumble. Marcus McNeill recovered, resulting in a safety for the Steelers which made it a 7-2 game.

“They covered us pretty good,” Rivers said. “I was trying to buy a little time. In hindsight you wish you would have just eaten it and got out of there. Just as I was getting ready to throw I got hit. Back there in your own end zone, you’ve got to take care of it. You certainly hate giving away points.”

The Steelers capitalized on another Chargers mistake late in the first half that provided a pivotal swing in the game. The Bolts drove to Pittsburgh’s 17 yard line in the final two minutes of the half, but just when it looked like the Chargers were about to extend their lead, Harrison intercepted Rivers to end the threat.

Roethlisberger responded by driving his club 54 yards to set up a 21-yard field goal. Reed’s short kick on the final play of the second quarter made it a 7-5 contest at the break.

“We’re playing a tough defense,” Rivers said. “There was another opportunity for a touchdown there. At least get three before the end of the half. It turns around, they end up scoring. That was a crucial play in the game.”

Pittsburgh opened the second half with a 14-play, 54-yard drive but again had to settle for three when Roethlisberger missed Santonio Holmes on 3^rd-and-5. Reed’s 41-yard kick gave the Steelers their first lead of the day at 8-7.

The Chargers responded by putting together a drive of their own. Rivers moved the Bolts to the Pittsburgh 24 but saw the Bolts walk away empty handed when Nate Kaeding’s 41-yard field goal attempt sailed right.

After another stop by the Bolts’ defense, Rivers and company went back to work in search of a late lead. The result was the Chargers’ longest drive of the season in terms of plays, a 17-snap march that left Rivers feeling bittersweet. Two incompletions on second and third down from Pittsburgh’s four yard line caused the Bolts to settle for a 22-yard chip shot by Kaeding, a kick that gave them a 10-8 lead with 6:41 remaining.

All the Chargers needed was one final stop from a defense that had delivered throughout the day. Unfortunately, it was too much to ask of a group that would ultimately be on the field for more than 36 minutes Sunday afternoon.

Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward posted 11 catches for 124 yards Sunday, and four of those grabs came on the final drive of the game. His clutch fourth-quarter play along with Willie Parker’s gritty running set up Reed’s 32-yard game winner that came with 11 seconds remaining.

“We made some plays throughout the game but just couldn’t finish it off,” linebacker Stephen Cooper said. “That hurts.”

Against the NFL’s top-rated defense, Rivers finished the day 15-of-26 for 159 yards and two interceptions. It was the first game this season in which he was held without a touchdown pass. Tomlinson finished the day with 57 yards on 18 carries.

“For the most part I thought we did a pretty good job of moving the ball,” Tomlinson said. “We were in scoring position quite a bit. We didn’t capitalize on some of the situations when we were down there.”

On the flip side, Roethlisberger was 31-of-41 for 308 yards and was a perfect 6-for-6 on the game-winning drive. Parker rushed for 115 yards on 25 carries.

The loss dropped the Chargers to 4-6 on the season and left them two games back of Denver in the AFC West after the Broncos’ win in Atlanta Sunday. The Bolts, who are 3-1 at home this seasons, will spend the next three weeks at Qualcomm Stadium in hopes of finding some consistency in the final six weeks of the season.

“At this point you’ve got to keep hope alive and hopefully things go your way down the stretch,” Tomlinson said. “You just keep fighting. We’ve got three in a row and home and we need to find a way to win them.”

While disappointed in the loss, Turner was proud of the way his team battled.

“There’s no quit in this group,” Turner said. “This group fought hard tonight. That’s a physical football game and that’s a very physical football team we’re playing against. Every guy was in it on every play. Guys were being helped off and someone would go in and fight for them. That’s the way we’re going to play next week and that’s the way we’ll play every week. That’s what this group is about.”

Keith Srakocic, AP

Running back LaDainian Tomlinson (21) is hit by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark as he goes in for a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008.

	Highlights: Chargers-Steelers In a low scoring game the Chargers can't pull out the win in Pittsburgh. Play
	Player of the Game: Jacques Cesaire Chargers.com Player of the Game - Jacques Cesaire Play
	Gameday: Norv Turner Head coach Norv Turner talks about the struggles the team is having and what happen in the 11-10 loss in Pittsburgh. Play
	Gameday: Philip Rivers Quarterback Philip Rivers talks with the media after the loss in Pittsburgh. Play
	Gameday: LaDainian Tomlinson Running back LaDainian Tomlinson talks about playing on the road in Pittsburgh. Play