Up to this point the Steelers had not be able to get Rashard Mendenhall up and running. The Chargers were not able to stop him Mendenhall helped Pittsburgh build a big lead. He then made sure they didn’t blow the lead with another bad fourth quarter. With his two touchdowns and 165 yards rushing, Mendenhall set new career highs in both departments. Ben Roethlisberger’s throwing helped get the Steelers get off to a fast fast and Pittsburgh was able to open up a lead of 28 points, and then held on to defeat the San Diego Chargers on Sunday night 38-28.

Mewelde Moore, running back, had a touchdown catch and on a goal line play threw for a touchdown pass as well to Heath Miller. The Steelers (2-2) who in the last two weeks were beaten during the closing second of the game by Chicago and Cincinnati, were able to build such a big lead this time that the bad fourth quarter did not really matter. In the final minute Jeff Reed hit a field goal from 46 yards.

Roethlisberger said, we’ve been unable to finish it off. This week we did. The San Diego Chargers (2-2) who were out gained by almost 4 to 1 until deep into the third quarter and 497 to 251 yards overall, were able to turn the game from a blowout to make it close. Philip Rivers had a 30 yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates and then another one to Chris Chambers for 13 yards Jacob Hester returned a fumble for another 41 yard score. All of these scores took place in the fourth quarter.

Mendenhall, who was a first round pick for the Steelers in 2008, came into the game with no touchdown and 103 career yards rushing. He was able to finally run out of the doghouse of Mike Tomlin while he was filling in for Willie Parker who was out with an injured toe. The week before Mendenhall didn’t get even a single carry in the 23-20 loss to Cincinnati due to the fact that Tomlin didn’t think he knew the plays.

Mendenhall said he didn’t have a chip on his shoulder. I was challenged and learned from it. I have always had the confidence in myself and knew sooner or later I would get a chance.

All it took was the first three plays in the game to show how the rematch of last year’s AFC playoff would end up playing out. Roethlisberger connected on 15 yard passes to Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward and Mike Wallace, the rookie for 35 yards. Mendenhall covered the last 14 yards in three carries to score the first touchdown of his career three minutes into the game.

Max Starks, tackle said, Rashard was able to really prove himself.

San Diego then went three and out, and the Steelers went on a 75 yard drive. The drive began with three runs from Mendenhall and was capped with Roethlisberger hitting Ward on a 15 yard pass, Holmes on one for 11 yards and two passes for twenty three yards to Moore. Moore caught the final pass on a 19 yard play for the touchdown.

Norv Turner, Chargers head coach said, they came out in the first half and were able to play about as well as you can play. From our point of view we obviously want to think that we could do things to be able to handle that. We just were not able to respond how I wanted us to.

Roethlisberger went 26 for 33 for a total of 333 yards. Ward had 113 yards on eight catches. Early in the game Roethlisberger had Pittsburgh moving so well that Tomlin let him go on a quarterback sneak for first down from the 30 yard line of the Steelers on fourth down and one. The Steelers scored their third touchdown of the game on a two yard run from Mendenhall.

Clinton Hart, Chargers safety said, in all phases they had it. It is hard stopping your opponent when they are going like that. They are the World Champions and they definitely cam out to play.

Mendenhall, whose rookie year last season came to an end during the fourth week due to a fractured shoulder, entered the game with a total of 103 rushing yards in his seven career games. By late third quarter he had over 100 yards and in the fourth quarter was able to add a run of thirty two yards versus the 26th ranked rushing defense in the NFL.

Mendenhall said he wanted people to know who he was. I was able to this time. It was the first time I played a full game in my career.

Tomlin said he wasn’t taking any credit since he didn’t rush for even a single yard.

Some NBC viewer may have been tempted to switch channels to CBS to watch “Three Rivers”, the medical drama based in Pittsburgh, after the Steelers took a 14-0 lead with about four minutes to go in the fourth quarter over the struggling Chargers.

It wasn’t Rivers’ fault. He basically had no running game supporting him. LaDainian Tomlin rushed for only 15 yards on 7 carries. Rivers, who threw for a total 739 yards in the previous two Chargers games, went 21 of 36 for 254 total yards and had three touchdowns. However he didn’t really have much of a chance to get the Chargers offense in gear until after it was too late. During the first half, Pittsburgh had the ball for almost 23 minutes while San Diego only had it for seven minutes.

Rivers said, we played a 1-2 team that was very hungry and were firing on all their cylinders. We had an off night. At least at the end we made it uncomfortable.

In was the third time playing at Heinz Field for the Chargers in eleven months, as many times as the University of Pittsburgh has played there, and lost for the third straight time. For the regular season, San Diego has a 0-14 record playing in Pittsburgh, although in the post season they have had two wins.

Before San Diego could have a possession that didn’t end in a punt they were down on the scoreboard 28-0. The Chargers were not able to get inside the 20 yard line until the third quarter when Gates had a three yard catch for a touchdown.

Early fourth quarter San Diego was able to cut the lead to 28-14. On a punt return Pittsburgh though that Stefan Logan was down before fumbling. He wasn’t though and Hester was able to run into the end zone uncontested. Pittsburgh challenged the call but were unsuccessful.

Notes
Counting the postseason, Pittsburgh has won eight home games in a row. For the time since 2002 and six games, San Diego lost to the previous year’s Super Bowl winner. Since their loss on January 1995 in the AFC championship game, Pittsburgh is 8-1 versus San Diego.