Ed: Chargers Never Win in Pittsburgh, Except...

Sunday, 09 December 2012 08:16

Written by Ed Bouchette

Good morning,
    The San Diego Chargers have an interesting history in Pittsburgh. They never win . . . in the regular season that is. The Chargers are 0-for-14 in Pittsburgh, and while they have a ways to go to top the Buccos 0-for-the-last-20, it’s an impressive losing streak.
    However, the Chargers have made up for that in the post-season. They twice derailed the Steelers in the post-season, although they lost their only playoff game at Heinz Field.
 They beat them after the strike-shortened 1982 season in what was called the AFC “tournament” rather than the playoffs. They upset the Steelers at home 31-28 by outscoring them 14-7 in the fourth quarter. Uniontown native Chuck Muncie ran all over the transformed Steelers defense for 126 yards on 25 carries and Franco Harris had just 35 yards on 10 carries. But it was Terry Bradshaw, who otherwise was having an outstanding game, who blew it. He threw two bad interceptions, one killer pick in the fourth quarter with his team up 28-17 that set up the Chargers’ at the Steelers 29. The Chargers scored two touchdowns in less than eight minutes and that was that.
        Then there was the 1994 AFC title game at Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers were heavily favored to reach their first Super Bowl in 15 years. They led the entire game, including 13-3 in the third quarter, right up until the Chargers scored on two 43-yard passes in the fourth quarter from Stan [bleeping] Humphries.
   The Steelers had a chance to win it at the end with a first down at San Diego’s nine. Barry Foster lost a yard, Neil O’Donnell threw incomplete and then completed a 7-yarder to John L. Williams at the three, and then threw incomplete to Barry Foster over the middle on fourth down.
      I’ve never heard Three Rivers Stadium so quiet and seen the city so dead than after that game. You could hear a Super Bowl ring drop.
      Just a little history of this matchup. The Chargers often give the Steelers a go of it, but I expect it to be a close win for the Steelers as they climb to 8-5 and keep those wildcard chances alive. One thing’s for sure, they won’t have to contend with San Diego in the post-season this time.
   Onto some stuff:
--- Current “Sexiest Man Alive” Channing Tatum, in Pittsburgh to film the movie Foxcatcher, will lead the Terrible Towel Twirl today. No word on whether he’s a Steelers fan. A few weeks ago a rumor circulated that he was at a Monroeville bar and women stormed the place like it was the start of the Pittsburgh Marathon. He wasn’t there, but it sounds like a great idea for some enterprising bar owners in Allegheny County. Tweet: I hear Justin Bieber just sat down at the Penn-Monroe!
---  Onto your questions:
--- YOU: I have often read your writing that Tomlin used the press conference to read through the opponents whole roster and comment on every player. And you say that he does this so that there is less time at the end for reporters to ask questions. Does that mean the NFL requires each head coach stand in front of a podium talking for a minimum amount of time? If so, how much time? Why else would he go through this each and every week. I never watched a press conference. I feel like I need to watch one just to see how bad it is.
ME: Each coach is required to have a press conference Monday or Tuesday following a game. I don’t know that there’s a time cap or floor. You can catch it all, including my post-press conference remarks, on Root Sports live, noon to 1 p.m. every Tuesday (although it likely will be on Monday Christmas Eve).
--- YOU: The Steelers lost to the Titans on a Thursday night and then the following week beat the Bengals on the road having 10 days rest. The tables turn when the Bengals and Steelers play next time in Pittsburgh. Cincinnati will be coming off a Thursday game and have 10 days rest. Is this likely a scheduling coincidence and is there a big advantage to those 3 extra days rest versus an opponent you know very well to begin with? Or are these guys so accustom to playing every 7 days that it really doesn’t matter?
ME: My non-scientific read is that the rest helps, but not so much that it should mean much of a difference.
--- YOU: Question about shuffling the O-line for the ravens game. Why did they chose to move Pouncey from center to guard and start Legursky at center? If Decastro was activated why not play him at LG and let Pouncey remain at center?
ME: They judged David DeCastro not to be quite ready and he has not really had any experience playing left guard either here or in college. Also, Doug Legursky is better playing center than he is playing guard and Maurkice Pouncey showed them he can play guard equally as well as he can center. DeCastro would have been used only if someone were hurt, as was Willie Colon the past two games.
--- YOU: Ed...while I appreciate the great personality and performance of RG 3, if I hear one more word about him being "the best rookie QB EVER", I am gonna hurl. The ultimate stat for any player is WINS.
Big Ben became an unintentional starter by attrition, he had his first official start come in a hurricane delayed game on the road (I was there for that one!), and he pulledl out a win with field conditions and turf consistency along the lines of Jello's instant chocolate pudding...it set the tone for the year. He even went to NY and beat the Golden Boy of the draft in Eli Manning. (I saw that one too!)
"Roethlisberger 2005" should be the gold standard by which all rookie QBs are measured. Why does that story and that season fail to register with so many in the national media?
ME: It’s the way of the world today. Everyone wants something to be either the greatest ever if it’s happening now, or there are those who believe nothing that ever happens now can surpass what happened in the past. They also might want to consider Dan Marino’s rookie season.
--- YOU: looks like the Bengals game is the make or break game for both teams -it would be a great flex game considering the scheduled Sunday night game that week is Jets-Chargers - but can they flex them if they already played each other on Sunday night?;
ME: I’ve been told they cannot flex that game, which is a great thing.
--- YOU: Looks like either NE or Den will be the 3 seed - think the Steelers can beat Denver & Manning in Denver?
ME: The Steelers can beat anyone, but the Broncos would be favored in that game. Here’s a strange concept: Should Steelers fans root for Baltimore to win and get that No. 3 seed to set up a first-round rematch in Baltimore? That would be preferable, I would think, than traveling either to New England or Denver (and play without Ryan Clark).