NFL PLAYOFFS : Two More Teams Leaving California : AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME : San Diego Steals Show, Wins a Trip to Miami

Throw out the video. Throw in the Terrible Towels.

The San Diego Chargers, disregarded in the preseason, maligned during a regular-season slump and mocked in the postseason, foiled their critics with one more improbable comeback at Three Rivers Stadium on Sunday, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-13, in the AFC championship game.

A week after coming back from a 21-6 halftime deficit to defeat the Miami Dolphins in their playoff opener, the Chargers rallied from a 13-3 deficit to reach the Super Bowl for the first time. They’ll play San Francisco in Miami Jan. 29.

Stan Humphries, the little known quarterback who has suddenly become a household name, threw the game-winning touchdown pass against the Dolphins to Mark Seay with 35 seconds to play and on Sunday he connected with Tony Martin on the game-winning 43-yarder with 5:13 to play.

Last week the Chargers beat Dan Marino, arguably the best quarterback in the AFC, and on Sunday they overcame the conference’s best defense.

The Chargers got all the motivation they needed when they learned that the Steelers had already made plans to film a Super Bowl video Tuesday. Steeler defensive end Ray Seals also predicted the Chargers would not score.

“Why’s everybody in our locker room?” Seay asked afterward. “Why isn’t everybody in the other locker room, partying and playing their Super Bowl video?”

Elsewhere, a Charger clubhouse attendant marched through the room, yelling, “Videos! Videos! Half price!”

Said Humphries: “We weren’t even supposed to score today. We figured we might as well just go out and have fun.”

Indeed, for a while Sunday, it seemed as if the Chargers might not score. They were facing not only the top defense in the conference, but the top rushing team in the league. The Steelers had won the AFC East, 12 of 16 regular-season games and their playoff opener against the Cleveland Browns, 29-9.

The Steelers came out passing, of all things. Knowing that his team was facing a defense that ranked first in the AFC against the run but 22nd in the league against the pass, Steeler Coach Bill Cowher decided to air it out.

And he got results. Quarterback Neil O’Donnell completed 32 of 54 passes for 349 yards. The totals for attempts and completions are new highs for both O’Donnell and the AFC championship game.

He connected with John L. Williams on a 16-yard touchdown pass play in the first quarter to open the scoring.

Even more ominous for the Chargers was the fact that Pittsburgh held the ball for 11:33 in the first 15 minutes. By halftime, the margin was 22:11 to 7:49 in Pittsburgh’s favor and the sellout crowd of 61,545 was in a Terrible Towel waving frenzy.

Not much went right for San Diego in the first 30 minutes.

The Chargers made their first serious push into Steeler territory in the second quarter when Pittsburgh defensive back Deon Figures was called for pass interference on Shawn Jefferson, the call made after Figures clearly grabbed Jefferson’s right arm as he reached for a pass.

That gave San Diego first and goal at the Pittsburgh two.

From there:

Natrone Means ran around the right end for no gain.

Means ran off right tackle for no gain.

Means ran up the middle for a one-yard loss.

On the third-down play, Means never got past his blockers, the Pittsburgh front wall refusing to yield even a crack.

On came kicker John Carney to salvage three points with a 20-yard field goal, but it was clearly an emotional victory for the Steelers.

Pittsburgh made one more charge at the Chargers before the half was over, driving to the San Diego 12. From there, however, offensive tackle Leon Searcy was called for holding, moving the Steelers back to the 22. With 43 seconds to play, Williams was stopped for no gain.

Cowher, explaining that “too many bad things could happen,” elected to go for the field goal on third down instead of trying for a touchdown, Anderson kicking a 39-yarder.

The second half didn’t appear initially as if it were going to be any more promising for the Chargers. On their opening possession, Humphries threw a pass into the arms of Steeler defensive back Rod Woodson. That gave Humphries as many completions to the Steelers at that point as he had to his Chargers, the San Diego quarterback having been successful on only one of five attempts in the first half.

Pittsburgh converted the turnover into three points, Anderson kicking a 23-yard field goal to increase the Steeler lead to 13-3.

But on the Chargers’ next possession, Humphries broke through from the Pittsburgh 43. When tight end Alfred Pupunu slipped past the Steeler safeties, who had moved up on a play-action fake, Humphries spotted his tight end wide open at the Pittsburgh 20 and connected. Pupunu steamed into the end zone and, after Carney’s conversion, the score was 13-10.

In the fourth quarter, on a third-and-14 play at the Pittsburgh 43, Humphries faded back, saw Martin streaking down the right sideline step for step with defensive back Tim McKyer and saw linebacker Chad Brown roaring straight up the middle in Humphries’ direction. He let go of the ball just as he got cracked across the face mask.

As Humphries went down, the ball went up. Martin had turned inside.

“I was just concentrating,” Martin said. “That ball took a long time to come down. I never thought it would come down.”

It finally did, squarely in his hands at the two, just ahead of McKyer. Martin stepped into the end zone.

“I secured it,” he said, “and I knew we were going to Miami.”

Not just yet.

Cheered by a record Three Rivers Stadium crowd and spearheaded by seven consecutive completions by O’Donnell, the Steelers drove to the San Diego nine with two minutes to play.

On a first-down running play, Barry Foster was thrown for a one-yard loss.

On second down, O’Donnell passed toward tight end Eric Green, but linebacker Dennis Gibson stepped in front and nearly intercepted.

On third down, O’Donnell passed to Williams for seven yards.

Fourth down. Three-yard line. One play left. Get into the end zone. Get into the Super Bowl.

O’Donnell faded back again. Junior Seau, who finished with a game-high 16 tackles, had Green covered.

O’Donnell went to Foster over the middle. The ball was there. So was Gibson. It bounced off his arm and fell to the ground.

“That,” said Gibson, “was the biggest play of my life.”

And arguably the biggest play in Charger history.

In the locker room, as he talked to reporters, Means glanced up at a television showing the NFC championship game. “The 49ers and the Cowboys,” he said. “That’s the real Super Bowl. We’re just the appetizers.”

Not anymore.