Big Surprise: Steelers Show Offense Already : AFC: After no offensive touchdowns in first five games last season, they start off with a 26-20 victory over Chargers.

Perhaps the Steelers misread the calendar, because it’s only September and they’re already scoring touchdowns. For the San Diego Chargers, it’s a brand new season and brand new starting quarterback but the same old story.

Bubby Brister threw for Pittsburgh’s first touchdown in a season opener in three years and the Steelers’ league-leading defense dominated San Diego quarterback John Friesz until late in the fourth quarter in a 26-20 victory Sunday.

“Their defense did identically what we’d thought they’d do, but we still didn’t get it done,” said Friesz, named San Diego’s starter only a week ago. “They said to us, ‘This is what we’re going to do, go ahead and try us.’ ”

Making just his second NFL start, Friesz passed for only 75 yards in the first three quarters. The Chargers trailed 19-3 before scoring 17 points in the final 10:10 against the NFL’s top-rated defense of a season ago.

“The first half was terrible,” Charger Coach Dan Henning said. “John was edgy early on.”

For the Steelers, Gary Anderson kicked four field goals and Brister withstood interceptions by Gill Byrd on consecutive first-half passes and then hooked up with Chris Calloway on a 33-yard scoring pass play in the second quarter. It was the Steelers’ first opening-day touchdown since a 24-21 victory over Dallas in 1988 and gave them a 10-3 lead.

The Steelers had lost to the Browns 13-3 and 51-0 in their last two openers and didn’t score a touchdown on offense last season until their fifth game of the season, a 36-14 victory over the Chargers.

Brister left the game with a mild concussion with 8:17 to play after being sandwiched by Leslie O’Neal and George Hinkle while throwing a 14-yard completion to Louis Lipps. Brister was 13 of 21 for 181 yards.

Backup quarterback Neil O’Donnell’s screen pass to Dwight Stone was turned into an 89-yard scoring play and a 26-13 Pittsburgh lead with 1:30 left. San Diego made it close on Friesz’s five-yard scoring pass to Shawn Jefferson on the final play of the game.

Friesz, a 1990 sixth-round draft pick, finished with 19 completions in 41 attempts for 192 yards and one interception.

“I’m not happy at all,” Friesz said. “I’ve come a long way, but I didn’t prove it. I still have everything to prove.

So do the Chargers, who were 6-10 each of the last three seasons. Friesz is the Chargers’ third opening day quarterback in as many seasons, following Mark Vlasic and Billy Joe Tolliver.

San Diego couldn’t convert either of Byrd’s interceptions into points and managed only Carney’s 48-yard field goal until running back Rod Bernstine’s 11-yard option play scoring pass to Nate Lewis made it 19-10 with 10:10 to play.

“To give up two touchdown passes like we did in the last quarter, that’s not us,” cornerback David Johnson said of a Steelers’ defense that allowed nine scoring passes in 16 games last season. “That has to change.”