We’ve seen San Diego once this year, in the only 11-10 finish in NFL history, thanks in large part to the refs taking a last-second touchdown away from Troy.
We know what to expect from San Diego’s running game. LT will be out so it will be the Darren Sproles show out of the backfield. Jacob Hester could be the difference-maker here. He caught a few short passes out of the backfield for San Diego in the first game this season and could see more action with LT out.
In the passing game, Rivers wants to go vertical to Vincent Jackson, who will likely draw a matchup with Ike Taylor for most of the game. On the other side, the Chargers have a perfectly capable receiver in Chris Chambers. Down the seam, Antonio Gates is Rivers’ go-to guy, running more like a wide receiver than a tight end. Jackson was arrested for DUI yesterday, but it’s unlikely to affect his playing time.
The Steelers defense did an excellent job against Rivers last game, and they’re going to need to step up bigtime on Sunday as well. James Harrison had the type of game one would expect from a Player of the Year, with a sack, INT, and forced fumble which resulted in a safety. Rivers was unable to burn our secondary for any big plays, but the Steelers pulled a Plaxico (shot themselves) multiple times with penalties.
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers racked up a lot of yards, but were unable to find the end zone. They are going to need to hit paydirt on Sunday if they want to move on. Field goals won’t be enough this time around.
This is no cupcake playoff game. Yes San Diego is 8-8, but they are a hot team right now. They have won 5 in a row and are on top of the world after beating Indy. The weather forcast is pretty much the usual for this time of year: cloudy, windy and cold with a chance of flurries.
T-minus 4 days. Be ready.
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