![]() ![]() Pittsburgh's offense was forced off the field in a rare success on the afternoon for San Diego's defense, and the Steelers were forced to punt with 21 seconds left in the first half. If this was the tipping point where the Steelers were about to put the game away, fate had an ironic and far different idea in mind. A groin injury forced the most viable hope for a Chargers comeback from the game. Trailing by 17 points, matters worsened for San Diego when Dan Fouts was nailed in the backfield by Merriweather and defensive end Keith Gary. Chargers corners Gill Byrd and John Turner were burnt on both of the first two Steelers passing scores, and their woes were not finished. Unable to shadow Stallworth exclusively, the Chargers secondary became listless.Īlready ahead 17-3, Mark Malone's 30-yard touchdown strike to a wide open Stallworth gave the Black and Gold a commanding 24-3 lead. Anderson's extra point gave Pittsburgh a 17-0 lead.Īfter Lipps' initial score, the Steelers passing game found its receivers open with utter frequency. In both instances, Pollard got into the end zone behind the domineering center Mike Webster, effective trap blocking, and a bulldozer fullback.Īnthony Corley cracked helmets in the A-gap, allowing Pollard to burst over the goal line. While Abercrombie had the most rushing yards, Frank Pollard, who finished with an impressive 79 yards himself, scored two rushing touchdowns. The Chargers should feel fortunate they didn't make more bad history with another memorable loss.The running effort included a career-high total for rookie Walter Abercrombie, whose 19 attempts for 109 yards led the team. The Steelers probably would have won if they had all their defensive players. The Chargers got sacks on back-to-back plays after that and the Steelers couldn't pick up a first down to keep the drive going. Herbert found Williams on the coverage bust for the score. That still left the Chargers with plenty of time. Their drive didn't go far but Chris Boswell got a 45-yard field goal with 3:24 left. That practically handed the Steelers the lead. It seemed like that decision would be the talking point of a terrible loss. When you go for it as often as Chargers coach Brandon Staley does, that will happen. It was a calculated gamble and it didn't work. On the Chargers' next possession they went for it on fourth-and-inches in their own territory, and Ekeler was stopped cold. With 4:23 left, rookie tight end Pat Freiermuth scored a touchdown to tie it. The Chargers had a pass fly high in the air when it bounced off Cameron Heyward's helmet and it was picked off on a diving catch by safety Cam Sutton. The Steelers got a touchdown back with Eric Ebron scoring from five yards out. ![]() (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Steelers battle back Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler had a huge game against the Steelers. The Chargers led by 14 then and it seemed like that would put away the Steelers.īut the Chargers are the Chargers. Ekeler scored his fourth touchdown on the next play. But, with the Steelers missing so many defensive playmakers, Herbert ran for a 36-yard gain on third-and-5. They got a pass interference call on fourth-and-goal and then Najee Harris scored a touchdown to cut the Chargers' lead to 27-20. They got a huge blocked punt in the fourth quarter, when they trailed 27-13, and it rolled out of bounds at the 3-yard line. The Steelers didn't seem to have any answers, but they didn't give up. The Chargers started the third quarter with a six-play, 70-yard drive capped by an Ekeler touchdown. Then a 12-play, 98-yard drive capped by an Ekeler touchdown. After a Steelers field goal, the Chargers had a 12-play, 73-yard drive capped by an Ekeler touchdown. That was bad news against a Chargers offense that can be a little inconsistent, but has the ability to move the ball up and down the field. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joe Haden, all elite defensive players, were all inactive for the Steelers. Los Angeles led 27-10 to start the fourth quarter. The Chargers tried to give them their first win. They were 0-230 before Sunday in that situation. NBC said the Chargers had never come back from a deficit of at least 17 points in the fourth quarter. The Chargers are just happy they didn't have an epic collapse. It was a valiant effort for a shorthanded team. They were down three defensive stars, and presumably with those players they wouldn't have given up four touchdowns to Austin Ekeler or the go-ahead score to Williams. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |