NFL Divisional Playoff Simulation – Chargers at Pittsburgh

NFL Betting – XBOX 360 Simulation

San Diego Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 4:45 ET CBS

Weather: Mostly cloudy in the morning, then becoming partly sunny with highs in the upper 20s and west winds around 5 mph.

The San Diego Chargers (9-8, 8-8-1 ATS) will look to keep its impossible dream intact when it pays Heinz Field a visit for the second time this season to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4, 9-7 ATS); kick-off is scheduled for 4:45 ET and the game will be broadcasted nationally on CBS.

The Chargers beat the Indianapolis Colts in the post-season for the second year in a row last Saturday night when they outlasted Indy 23-17 in overtime. The shocking victory saw them win outright as 1.5-point home underdogs, and the combined 40 points never seriously threatened the 49-point closing ‘total.’ The win was the Chargers fifth in a row, and they’ll look to keep that streak intact by winning its third road game in a row this afternoon.

The Steelers were in dire need of some time off to allow stud QB Ben Roethlisberger to recover from the bone jarring hit that caused a concussion in the Steelers Week 17 home win and cover against the Cleveland Browns. He’s going to give it a go this week, but Pitt backers should be a bit concerned that his helmet didn’t fit and had to be altered in practice this week. The guys head is still swollen….

The Chargers and Steelers played to the first 11-10 final in NFL history in their Week 11 match-up earlier this season; SD covered the 4-point spread and the 21 combined points went under the 40-point closing ‘total.’  The game also had Pitt backers up in arms after what looked to be a blown call in the closing moments of the game that cost the Steelers the home cover. Pittsburgh has won two of its three meetings with San Diego straight up since both Phillip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger led their respective team’s offenses, but the Chargers cashed pointspread tickets in two of those three match-ups. The favorite has gone 5-2 ATS the L/7 meetings but Pitt went a mediocre 4-4 ATS as a home favorite this season, while San Diego went 2-1 ATS as a road underdog with one SU win.

1st Quarter:

Neither offense was able to make any hay throughout its first two possessions of the game, but San Diego got on track on its 3rd drive after the defense set the offense up with fantastic field position after stopping the Steelers on their own 17 yard line. Set up 1st and 10 from its own 47, RB Darren Sproles picked up 4-yards on 1st down but that’s where the drive stalled. QB Phillip Rivers was intercepted on the very next play to kill the drive.

QB Ben Roethlisberger connected with WR Santonio Holmes for 10-yards on 1st down, and then RB Willie Parker moved the chains by accumulating 13-yards on the Steelers next two plays from scrimmage. TE Heath Miller got into the mix on the next play by hauling in a 15-yard pass, and RB Parker got the Steelers inside the Chargers red zone with a couple of runs to end the quarter.

SAN DIEGO 0 PITTSBURGH 0

2nd QUARTER

The first play of the 2nd quarter saw Big Ben connect with WR Heinz Ward for a 9-yard scoring strike to give the Steelers the first lead of the game.

After a sad three and out by the Chargers offense, Pittsburgh took over at their own 43 after the punt was returned for 21-yards. After RB parker was dropped for a 4-yard loss on 1st down, Big Ben continued his excelled passing and hit RB Limas Sweed for 15 yards out of the backfield. On 3rd and 1, Roethlisberger looked to TE Miller once again who moved the chains after securing the 10-yard reception. RB Parker advanced the pigskin to the Chargers 11 yard line before Big Ben connected with WR Ward again to move the chains. The fantastic drive ended with another TD strike from Big Ben to TE Miller from four-yards out to give the home team a commanding two score lead.

The Chargers had a steep mountain to climb, but QB Rivers and the offense looked to be up for it immediately. Their first play from scrimmage saw Rivers connect with WR Malcolm Floyd for 9-yards, and they moved the chains on the next play when WR Chris Chambers hauled in a 12-yard reception. The speedy Sproles moved the chains again on the next play after a 13-yard gain, but the Chargers needed a big play on 3rd down to keep the drive alive. The big play came from a most unlikely candidate when TE Brandon Manumaleuna managed to get wide open and race 23-yards down to the Steelers 16-yard line. SD only had 12 seconds left to either get in the endzone or kick a FG. After a called timeout, Rivers connected with Gates for 8-yards and quickly called another timeout. After the commercial break, the Chargers gambled and called for the screen pass to Sproles. After looking like he would be consumed and taken out of bounds, the tiny dynamo managed to sneak through the Steelers wall of defenders and dive into the endzone for an exhilarating score. Just what the doctor ordered to get the Chargers back into the game right at the break!!!

SAN DIEGO 7 PITTSBURGH 14

3rd Quarter

The Chargers busted out of the gates to start the second half behind the nimble running of RB Sproles and the short passing game between Rivers and his TE’s. They got past midfield after Rivers hit TE Gates for an 11-yard gain, and marched further down the field when FB Jacob Hester busted a 12-yard gain up the gut. The Chargers committed their second turnover of the game on the next play when Rivers was blindsided by LB James Harrison and LB LaMarr Woodley pounced on it at Pitt’s 14-yard line….

SD’s defense allowed the Steelers to move the chains once before forcing the punt, and SD’s offense was set up 1st and 10 from its own 30 to start its second drive of the half.

SD immediately got past midfield when Rivers connected with Chambers for 12 and Gates for 10, and got into the red zone once again after WR Vincent Jackson hauled in a 21-yard pass and catch. It was all Sproles from there on out, and the drive ended with him sauntering into the endzone for the second time from three-yards out to knot the game up at 14 apiece. Oh what a 4th quarter we have in store!!!

SAN DIEGO 14 PITTSBURGH 14

4TH QUARTER  

The Steelers managed to get to their own 42-yard line on their next drive before the Chargers forced them to punt. SD went three and out on its possession and Pitt took control of the ball on their own 25.

Big Ben utilized the short passing game to his WR corps to start, but the big play came when he connected with WR Santonio Holmes for a huge 27-yard gain to get into San Diego territory. Set up 1st and 10 from SD’s 38, the Steelers looked to RB Parker to get them into field goal range. He did just that after picking up 16 yards on his next three carries. SD stopped the Steelers on 3rd down, which forced HC Mike Tomlin to make a huge decision….go for it on 4th and short or go with K Jeff Reed whose been nothing but money in the FG department all season long. He looked to the veteran kicker and Reed made him look good after splitting the uprights from 36-yards out.

With just a little over four minutes remaining in the game, the Chargers went back to work after starting the drive from their own 27-yard line. RB’s Sproles and Hester helped the offense get past midfield by alternating carries over the next five plays. QB Rivers hit his big TE for eight yards on the next play, and Sproles moved the chains on a dump off pass to take the game to the two minute warning. After the break, SD’s offense was called for a holding penalty that pushed them back, but WR Jackson came up with another huge catch to allow for a more manageable 3rd down play. SD moved the chains when Rivers decided to tuck it and run after his WR’s were blanketed by the Pitt secondary. With under a minute left, the Chargers found themselves in a great position to at the very least tie the game up. They took the lead on the next play from scrimmage after Sproles dove into the endzone on a middle screen, but a yellow flag laid on the ground as the team celebrated in the endzone. One of the lineman got called for illegal man downfield, and the score was wiped off the board.

Charger fans stop reading!!! The next play from scrimmage saw Pitt force the third turnover of the game when Rivers got hit just as he threw the ball, and it of course landed in the waiting arms of S Troy Polamalu who got pummeled after her hauled in the interception. The Steelers took a bunch of knees after that and punched their tickets to the AFC Championship game….

FINAL SCORE: SAN DIEGO 14 PITTSBURGH 17

This game simulation calls for a San Diego cover and for the combined score to go under the ‘total’. You can get San Diego (+6) -110 and the Under 38 –110 at BetOnline.com right now!!!

 

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FINAL

SAN DIEGO

0

7

7

0

14

PITTSBURGH

0

14

0

3

17

QB Phillip Rivers: 27/50 275 yards 1 TD 2 INT

QB Ben Roethlisberger: 17/26 158 yards 2 TD 0 INT

RB Darren Sproles: 15 carries for 68 yards 1 TD Long of 12

RB Willie Parker:  26 carries for 66 yards 0 TD Long of 9

WR Chris Chambers:  7receptions for 93 yards 0 TD Long of 23

TE Heath Miller: 5 receptions for 42 yards 1 TD Long of 15

 

SD

PIT

TOTAL OFFENSE

350

231

RUSHING YARDS

75

73

PASSING YARDS

275

158

1ST DOWNS

16

12

TOTAL YARDS

466

296

TURNOVERS

3

0

3RD DOWN CONV

4/14 28%

4/15 26%

PENALTIES

6-45

4-30

TIME OF POSSESSION

31:25

28:35