![]() The turnover set up two possessions that ended the competitive phase of the game. Next, he deflected another pass in the secondary that found the waiting arms of free safety Eric Williams. First, Brown intercepted Luther for the first pick of his career, returning the pick 31 yards. On a pair of third-quarter possessions, the Chargers were victimized by rookie Steelers corner Chris Brown. Next up, a rookie and a veteran took turns dismantling any hope of a San Diego comeback. Mike Webster paved the way, and Pollard followed fullback Elton Veals into the end zone. The long hook-up between first-round picks set up a two-yard touchdown plunge by Frank Pollard, once again set up behind superb blocking. Abercrombie's consistent gains brought the Steelers past midfield. The start of the march came on the ground, causing the Chargers to creep toward the line of scrimmage. The Steelers immediately responded to San Diego's "charge" with muscle, engineering an eight-play, 73-yard drive. And frankly, Ed Luther- despite flashes of aplomb- was about to demonstrate that he was no Dan Fouts. The Black and Gold were about to showcase that the contest was never "anybody's game" in reality. ![]() Luckily for the stunned fans in attendance, history was not going to repeat itself on this day. It was a sign of a changing in the guard. It was the type of home letdown in the postseason that "those Steelers" hadn't allowed before. Dan Fouts threw a pair of touchdowns to end the Steelers' season, and the Chargers won, 31-28. ![]() However, the roof caved in at the end of the game. Terry Bradshaw was still the quarterback, many of the dynastic faces from the 70's remained, and there was still hope in the Steel City that the heyday of that roster wasn't over. Early in the fourth, Pittsburgh's edge remained 11 points, 28-17. By the end of the first quarter, Pittsburgh led 14-3 before a raucous Three Rivers Stadium. Only months earlier, in the 1982-83 Divisional Playoffs, the Chargers completely unraveled early in the game, allowing the Steelers to score after a muffed opening kickoff. Suddenly, within a 90-second span of game time, the 24-3 Steelers lead dwindled to 24-17. Whereas Fouts had no first-half success, Luther found Wes Chandler deep down the middle of the field, burning the Pittsburgh secondary for a 63-yard touchdown. On the third play of the third quarter, backup quarterback Ed Luther temporarily took on the form of his mentor, Dan Fouts. If the shock had worn after halftime, the unwelcome feeling would quickly reappear throughout the venue. The stunned Three Rivers Stadium crowd, more than ready to hit the concession stands and restrooms with a three-touchdown advantage, watched in disbelief as the Chargers gained momentum that the team had in no way earned through 29 minutes, 50 seconds of first-half play. ![]() Lionel James shifted his way through the wave of humanity, returning the punt 58 yards for San Diego's only touchdown before halftime. Pittsburgh's offense was forced off the field in a rare success on the afternoon for San Diego's defense, and the Steelers were forced to punt with 21 seconds left in the first half. If this was the tipping point where the Steelers were about to put the game away, fate had an ironic and far different idea in mind. A groin injury forced the most viable hope for a Chargers comeback from the game. Trailing by 17 points, matters worsened for San Diego when Dan Fouts was nailed in the backfield by Merriweather and defensive end Keith Gary. Chargers corners Gill Byrd and John Turner were burnt on both of the first two Steelers passing scores, and their woes were not finished. Unable to shadow Stallworth exclusively, the Chargers secondary became listless.Īlready ahead 17-3, Mark Malone's 30-yard touchdown strike to a wide open Stallworth gave the Black and Gold a commanding 24-3 lead. ![]() Anderson's extra point gave Pittsburgh a 17-0 lead.Īfter Lipps' initial score, the Steelers passing game found its receivers open with utter frequency. In both instances, Pollard got into the end zone behind the domineering center Mike Webster, effective trap blocking, and a bulldozer fullback.Īnthony Corley cracked helmets in the A-gap, allowing Pollard to burst over the goal line. While Abercrombie had the most rushing yards, Frank Pollard, who finished with an impressive 79 yards himself, scored two rushing touchdowns. The running effort included a career-high total for rookie Walter Abercrombie, whose 19 attempts for 109 yards led the team. ![]()
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