Chargers 7, Steelers 0

Key play: An interception by Steelers safety Troy Polamalu might've been devastating to the Chargers, abruptly halting a promising game-opening drive by the visitors, and a 17-yard pass to Hines Ward set up Pittsburgh on the Chargers' 38-yard line. But beleaguered Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was sandwiched between linebackers Shaun Phillips and Stephen Cooper for San Diego's first pure sack in a month, a drive-killing play. Then again, it could've been Quentin Jammer and Brandon Siler dropping Mewelde Moore for loss on fourth-and-goal from well inside the Chargers' 1-yard line.

Key stat: Sept. 28. Not a stat, but a date, fully eight Sundays ago. That was how long it had been since LaDainian Tomlinson had scored a rushing TD before a 3-yard scoring burst.

Not in the box score: The atmosphere of November Football near the banks of the historic three rivers, made all the more perfect with snow that dusted the field, but pretty much ceased just before kickoff. Game on in 35 degrees, with a wind-chill of 26, and it was left to the players to clear the field of snow with their cleats.

SECOND QUARTER

Chargers 7, Steelers 5

Key play: Until late in the quarter, it was Mike Scifres' free kick of a whopping 75 yards, but that was superceded by Rivers' pass to linebacker James Harrison just 10 yards shy of the end zone inside the half's last two minutes. Rivers was going for wide receiver Vincent Jackson, but might as well have been aiming it at Harrison, who returned the interception 33 yards to spark the Steelers to a half-ending field goal.

Key stat: Three sacks by the Chargers defense, starved for an effective pass rush virtually all season, in the first half alone. Five different players -- Cooper, Phillips, Jamal Williams, Jyles Tucker and Jacques Cesaire -- were involved in dropping Roethlisberger for a total of 21 yards lost.

Not in the box score: The NFL is no place to find sympathy, but you had to both admire and cringe for Roethlisberger, so obviously debilitated by that bum shoulder, yet still trying to wing his way past a Chargers defense that clearly was teeing off on him. Somehow, Roethlisberger still managed to complete 19-of-23 passes for 189 yards.

THIRD QUARTER

Steelers 8, Chargers 7

Key play: The Chargers only had the ball once in the period, and they drove inside the Pittsburgh 25, but on second-and-2 Tomlinson was buried by an unblocked Steeler and Rivers was forced to throw his third-and-3 pass out of bounds. That left it up to Nate Kaeding to put San Diego back in front with a 42-yard field goal, but he pushed it wide right.

Key stat: Twenty-one plays by the Steelers in the period to just eight for the Chargers (not counting FG attempts). That boosted Pittsburgh's advantage for the game to 58-33. The Steelers had the ball for nearly 29 of the first 45 minutes and gained 316 yards to 135 for San Diego. Think the Chargers were fortunate to trail by only 1 point?

Not in the box score: That, for the third time in as many quarters, the officials appeared to miss a delay-of-game penalty against the Steelers, allowing Pittsburgh to run a play after the play clock hit :00. This time the result was an 11-yard pass to Santonio Holmes that contributed to the Steelers' drive for a go-ahead field goal.

FOURTH QUARTER

Steelers 11, Chargers 10

Key play: Once again, the Chargers' inability to convert in the red zone came back to haunt them. Trailing 8-7, they drove more than 70 yards to get a first-and-goal at the 6, but after a 2-yard run by Tomlinson on first down, Rivers threw a pair of incomplete passes and San Diego had to settle for a 22-yard field goal. That set the stage for the inevitable long drive by the Steelers for the inevitable winning field goal.

Key stat: The Steelers had 73 plays to 50 for San Diego and more than double the total yardage (410-213).

Not in the box score: How the referee's ruling that Troy Polamalu's recovery of Chris Chambers' backward pass and subsequent run into the end zone did not count as a touchdown meant the difference between bettors who backed San Diego winning instead of those who backed Pittsburgh getting one of the all-time lucky breaks. The ruling was that Tomlinson's initial "lateral" was a forward pass, which referee Scott Green said killed the play and ended the game before Polamalu ever got the ball. But Green later said "the rule was misinterpreted" and the TD should have counted.