The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the San Diego Chargers 35-24 in the AFC Divisional Round to advance to the AFC Championship game. The Steelers became the only home team to win in this round, with the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, and New York Giants all losing at home. The Steelers will now play the AFC North division rival Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game on January 18.
The Chargers jumped out in front early with quarterback Philip Rivers throwing a touchdown pass of 41 yards to wide receiver Vincent Jackson. After they took a 10-7 lead, it all went downhill. The Steelers scored 21 unanswered points, building a 28-10 lead. The stingy Steelers defense was responsible for holding the Chargers to 10 points after their hot start.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was 17 of 26 for 181 yards and a touchdown pass, making it a productive day. Philip Rivers was productive as well, throwing for 308 yards and three touchdown passes. Steelers running back Willie Parker had 146 yards rushing and two touchdowns to help the Steelers win.
This game was not surprising to me at all. The only surprising part of the game was the fact that the Steelers were able to put 35 points on the board. The offense still wasn't explosive, but they got the job done and Willie Parker looked very good, just what the Steelers need at this time. For the Chargers, they were coming into the game hot, winning five straight games. But they couldn't get it done and their defense was a reason why. They couldn't stop the Steelers offense, which isn't really that good. The absence of running back Ladainian Tomlinson was also felt, as Darren Sproles was asked to carry the load, which he isn't capable of.
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