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Late field goal helps Steelers edge Chargers

Nov 17, 2008 - 2:36 AM By Brad Everett PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- After a stretch of unimpressive outings, Ben Roethlisberger needed a solid game to help silence his critics. All it took was one drive.

Roethlisberger orchestrated a game-winning scoring drive that culminated with a 32-yard field goal by Jeff Reed with 11 seconds left in game to help the Pittsburgh Steelers edge the San Diego Chargers, 11-10, on Sunday.

"It was time for me to do it," Roethlisberger said. "I don't like to say it's time for us to do it because some of those guys have been doing it all year. It was time for me to step up and make some plays."

Nate Kaeding converted a 22-yard field goal with 6:44 left in the fourth to give the Chargers a 10-8 lead, but the Steelers drove 73 yards in 13 plays to put Reed in position to reclaim sole possession of first place in the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens fell to the New York Giants, 30-10, earlier in the day.

The Steelers (7-3) had lost two of their past three games.

"We needed this one," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said. "Now we're 7-3. In the month of November, teams are starting to separate themselves. Tonight was our night and we made more plays than they did."

Roethlisberger converted all six of his passes on the final series for 62 yards and finished 31-of-41 attempts for 308 yards. And, just as important, he did not throw an interception after tossing eight in his previous 10 quarters of play.

Willie Parker ran for 115 yards and Ward had 11 receptions for 124 yards as Pittsburgh snapped a two-game losing skid at home.

LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown for San Diego (4-6), which has never won in 13 regular-season games in Pittsburgh.

While the Chargers tried to capitalize for their final rebuttal, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu forced a botched lateral pass and ran it back for an apparent 12-yard touchdown, which was then overturned on replay. As a result, the teams played to the first 11-10 game in NFL history.

Afterward, head referee Scott Green attempted to explain the final play, eventually saying that the crew erred on their decision.

"There were several passes," Green said. "The first pass was the one that was illegal, but it only kills the play if it hits the ground. That was incorrect to have killed that at that point. The ruling should have let the play go on. That's just the way that it played out."

The loss was the third in four games for the Chargers (4-6), who slipped two games behind the division-leading Denver Broncos in the AFC West.

"Coming into this game, we thought that it would be a field position game and we would have opportunities, especially in the fourth quarter to win," Chargers coach Norv Turner said. "But we didn't capitalize on those opportunities and they put together a great drive at the end of the game to win the game."

Tomlinson scored the game's lone touchdown on a 3-yard run - his first rushing touchdown since Week Three - to give the Chargers a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

The Steelers used their defense to earn their first points of the contest.

Shortly after Pittsburgh's Mewelde Moore was stuffed on 4th-and-goal from San Diego's 1-yard line, the Steelers forced the Chargers into a third down from their own 3. On that play, Steelers linebacker James Harrison stripped the ball from Philip Rivers in the end zone and Marcus McNeil recovered the fumble for the safety.

"James Harrison continues to make splash play after splash play for us," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "He is one of the main reasons that we were successful today."

The Chargers wasted an opportunity to reclaim the lead on their next series, as Kaeding's 42-yard field goal attempt sailed wide.

"We are up against the wall," Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said. "We have been up against the wall all season long, but even more so now. You just keep playing. These hurt, they all hurt. Especially ones that you felt in control."

Reed hit a field goal as time expired in the first half and then booted a 41-yarder with 8:41 left in the third to stake Pittsburgh to an 8-7 advantage.

"It's that time of year," Steelers linebacker James Farrior said. "It's November football right now. It's crunch time. It's getting down to the end and you've got to have your big players step up in big games. All these games are all going to be big games from here on out."