Chargers Head Coach Norv Turner tried to be philosophical after Sunday's 35-24 playoff loss in Pittsburgh.
"We've got a lot of young players, who will learn from this," said Turner.
When you get to the divisional round of the playoffs, it isn't about learning. It's about winning. And that's exactly what the Pittsburgh Steelers are about. The Chargers still have a long way to go to get to that level.
To their credit, the Chargers became the first team to make the playoffs after stumbling to a four and eight record in their first twelve games. They overcame an injury to LaDainian Tomlinson to beat the Colts in the first round of the playoffs. After playing what amounted to six straight playoff games, it looked like the Chargers just ran out of gas.
After trailing 14-10 at the half, the Chargers had just one offensive play in the third quarter. It was a tipped pass that was intercepted by the Steelers Larry Foote.
"We looked at each other, and couldn't believe we had just one play in a quarter," said quarterback Philip Rivers.
In the end, the Steelers dominated up front on both sides of the ball. Their offensive line, that isn't used to compliments, was outstanding. That's why Willie Parker ran for 146 yards, and Ben Roethlisberger had all sorts of time to pass. Meanwhile, the NFL's top rated defense lived up to the hype.
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"You've got to give the Steelers credit, they're a terrific team," said Rivers.
The Chargers are a 9-9 team. No more, no less.
