A Miss for Steelers, a Mess for Chargers

The saddest thing about the finale to the saddest season in San Diego Charger history was that Sunday’s 34-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was even worse than the numbers would indicate.

And it all started so hopefully, giving rise to hope among Charger faithful in the crowd of 50,809 at Qualcomm Stadium that the team might win its second game of the season.

The Chargers scored twice in the first five minutes, then settled down to an afternoon of penalties, missed opportunities and porous defense.

“After a pretty decent start, it went downhill fast,” said Coach Mike Riley, who showed a rare burst of anger in the fourth quarter over a disputed call.

Junior Seau, adding understatement to his many skills, described the Chargers’ 1-15 season, worst in the 41-year history of the franchise, as “a disappointment.”

If there is a silver lining among the massive dark clouds of the Charger season, it is that the team will get the first choice in the college draft in April.

“We have to bring in a little more talent,” safety Rodney Harrison said. “We have to hit free agency as well as the draft. Right now I just want to get home and get away.”

There was disappointment as well among the Steelers. Needing a trifecta to gain the AFC wild-card playoff spot, the Steelers got only a daily double, finishing 9-7 but without a playoff berth for the third consecutive season.

To make the playoffs, the Steelers needed a victory over the Chargers, the Baltimore Ravens to beat the New York Jets, and the Minnesota Vikings to beat the Indianapolis Colts.

The Ravens did their part, beating the Jets ,34-20, but the Colts thumped the Vikings, 31-10.

“We gave a gallant effort,” Steeler Coach Bill Cowher said. “There’s a lesson to be learned: Don’t put your fate in the hands of other people.”

The Steelers admitted to watching the scoreboard for word of the Viking-Colt game.

“My eyeballs were glued to it,” said Jerome Bettis, who had 51 yards in 26 carries.

The Chargers struck first with a 71-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Leaf to Jeff Graham. The Steelers quickly tied it with a 98-yard kickoff return by former San Diego State standout Will Blackwell.

Still in the opening minutes of the first quarter, Harrison, who finished the season with a career-high six interceptions, scored on a 63-yard interception.

Up 14-7, the Chargers had hopes playing Grinch to the Steelers’ playoff hopes--and satisfying the Christmas wishes of fans who held up signs begging for a victory.

But Steeler quarterback Kordell Stewart passed to Courtney Hawkins for a five-yard touchdown and later scored on a 19-yard run with 45 seconds remaining in the half. Throw in a 32-yard field goal by Kris Brown, and the Steelers were ahead at the half, 24-14.

Charger back Terrell Fletcher scored with a one-yard run in the third quarterbut the fourth quarter was all Steelers.

Stewart, who completed 16 of 32 passes for 190 yards and gained 81 yards rushing, scored on a one-yard run.Brown kicked a 28-yard field goal for the game’s final score.

In the Chargers’ final possession of the 2000 season, Leaf threw an incomplete pass and then was sacked and fumbled at the Charger one-yard line.

“We all had our fingerprints on this 1-15 season,” backup quarterback Jim Harbaugh said. “This is as bad as it gets.”