CHARGERS NOTES: Steelers take game by throat in 3rd quarter

By SCOTT BAIR - Staff Writer | Sunday, January 11, 2009 9:01 PM PST ∞

PITTSBURGH ---- The Steelers gained possession at the start of the second half and never really let go. They had the ball for the entire third quarter, save for the hang time on a punt and one Chargers offensive play that ended in an interception.

Pittsburgh held on for 14 minutes, 43 seconds in the third period. The Chargers? A whopping 13 seconds in a quarter that changed the game and pitted luck against the Chargers.

A Pittsburgh punt hit Chargers safety Eric Weddle in the helmet, and the Steelers recovered. A Philip Rivers pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by defensive end Brett Keisel and intercepted by linebacker Larry Foote.

Sure, some freakish things helped cause such a disparity, but they weren't the only catalyst. The Steelers converted three straight times on third-and-long during a drive that lasted nearly eight minutes and ended in a touchdown.

Pittsburgh controlled the clock with power rushing, and the Chargers' defense ---- which had held Pittsburgh's offense largely at bay in the first half ---- let down on a few key plays that left the unit on the field and the offense twiddling its thumbs.

"Offensively, it gets you out of your rhythm," Rivers said. "More than that, we felt bad for our defense. They're out there exposed while they're fighting and clawing. That's a long time to be on the field."

It was an energy-sapping period of immense frustration that took its toll on the defense.

"You have to find a way to make a play, and we didn't do that in the second half," Chargers inside linebacker Stephen Cooper said. "...We never, ever stopping fighting to make a stop, but we just couldn't get off the field during that stretch."

Will the backfield be back?

There are rumblings that the Chargers two leading rushers might be gone next season. Rumors abound about LaDainian Tomlinson being traded ---- with three years left on his contract and his value being so high ---- and Darren Sproles leaving as an unrestricted free agent.

Chargers coach Norv Turner scoffed at the notion of a Tomlinson trade, stating, "That's not even a question I need to answer." Tomlinson was hopeful yet hesitant.

"You never know," Tomlinson said. "Hopefully, I won't have to deal with that."

Sproles, who has expressed an interest in staying in San Diego but will likely test the market in some capacity, might have played his last game as a Charger.

"I hope not," he said. "We'll have to see."

Rivera return?

There's also speculation that Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera is a candidate for one of the several head coaching vacancies across the NFL. The Chargers improved dramatically under his direction, and he gained the respect of his charges in a relatively short time.

"We obviously want Ron to do what's best for himself and his family, but we hope he's back," Weddle said. "We'll take it day by day and plan on him being with us for at least another year. It'll be great to have a full offseason to work with him and see what we can do."

Penalty killers

While the Chargers have benefited from several key penalties in recent weeks, they were the culprits against the Steelers.

The Chargers gave away 104 yards on eight penalties, including several that could be considered careless. There was an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by Vincent Jackson after a touchdown, a costly facemask call on a block by Jacob Hester, a delay-of-game, and an unnecessary roughness penalty by Cletis Gordon. Several of those, plus a pass interference call on Weddle in the end zone, put Pittsburgh in position to score points.

Long time coming

Santonio Holmes' 67-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter, which helped Pittsburgh tie the game 7-7, was the first such scoring play against the Chargers in quite some time.

The last was by Oakland's Phillip Buchanon, who returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown on Dec. 28, 2003. The last one in the playoffs came in the 1965 AFL championship game, when Buffalo's Butch Byrd returned a punt 74 yards for a score.

Floyd's return

After missing the last two regular-season games while recovering from a collapsed lung and being declared inactive for last week's win over Indianapolis, wide receiver Malcom Floyd was activated against the Steelers.

The 6-foot-5 receiver, who had 27 receptions for 465 yards during the season, didn't have a catch in the game.

Injury update

-- Tomlinson was not active due to a partially torn groin.

-- CB Quentin Jammer (hamstring) got hurt in the third quarter and did not return.

-- TE Antonio Gates (high ankle sprain) was sidelined most of the second half with an injury he has struggled with in recent weeks.

-- LB Brandon Siler (ankle) was limited in the second half.