goes to: James Harrison

In a game when Hines Ward had 11 catches for 124 yards and produced the longest offensive play of the game (30 yards), it was OLB James Harrison who made the biggest plays. In the first 11-10 final score in NFL history, Harrison effectively accounted for nearly half the points by tormenting QB Philip Rivers on two occasions. First, he sacked Rivers and forced a fumble in the end zone, resulting in a safety. Then he intercepted Rivers at the Steelers' 10 late in the second quarter, leading to a field-goal drive that cut the Chargers' lead to 7-5 as time expired.

The countdown

A quick look at the top performances from the win vs. the Chargers:

Jeff Reed'S WINNING FIELD GOAL: It might seem like a simple chore, asking a kicker who hadn't missed a field goal all year to kick a 32-yarder. But there are no easy field goals at Heinz Field in November, just ask the Chargers' Nate Keading, who missed a 42-yarder in the third quarter. But with a squishy lie and a biting wind, Reed delivered his third field goal of the game with 11 seconds remaining, just one play after it appeared the Steelers had scored on a 4-yard run by Willie Parker. It was Reed's eighth winning field goal, and second this season.

1

WARD'S THIRD-DOWN CATCH IN THE FOURTH QUARTER: On third-and-6 at the Chargers' 41, trailing, 10-8, Ben Roethlisberger drifted to his left and threw a low pass between two defenders that Ward caught for a 7-yard gain, keeping alive the drive that ended with Reed's winning field goal.

2

RIVERS KEEPS THE DRIVE ALIVE: On third-and-10 at the Steelers' 23, trailing 8-7, Rivers completed only his second pass to Vincent Jackson, but it was a big one -- a 17-yarder that kept a 17-play drive alive that resulted in Nate Kaeding's 22-yard field goal with 6:41 remaining.

3

HARRISON'S TRIPLE PLAY: The offense couldn't score near the goal line for the second game in a row, but Harrison found a way to get some points. He beat TE Brandon Manumaleuna off the right side, hit Rivers from behind and caused a fumble that produced a safety and his team-high 12th sack.

4

Ike Taylor'S PASS BREAKUP AT THE GOAL LINE: This play was significant for two reasons. Rivers made a poor decision, trying to force a pass between two defenders to WR Vincent Jackson on second down; but Taylor made the big play, batting the ball and forcing the Chargers to settle for a field goal.

5

Inside the numbers

That's the number of penalties committed against the Chargers, eclipsing the previous season high of 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars . If you're keeping score, Ward had three 10-yard penalties, two for holding. Special teams had four for 36 yards.

What was he thinking?

The Chargers certainly are accustomed to wrong calls by an official, witness their 39-38 loss in Denver in Week 2. This time, an admitted wrong call by an official only saved them from a larger margin of defeat -- and denied safety Troy Polamalu a TD with no time left. But this might be a first. Referee Scott Green initially ruled Polamalu had scored on a 12-yard fumble return, upheld the call after replay review, changed his mind after an on-field discussion with the officiating crew, then admitted after the game he blew the call.

Overheard

"I'm sorry. Those are the types of games we like to play."

-- James Harrison, Steelers outside linebacker, not apologizing for the final score of yesterday's game at Heinz Field -- the first time an NFL game has finished 11-10.

Up next

VS. CINCINNATI Bengals , 8:15 P.M. THURSDAY: The Steelers won the first meeting, 38-10, on Oct. 19 and have won 11 of the past 14 games against their AFC North rival. However, the Bengals have won two of the past three games at Heinz Field.

X's and O's

It is not the first time Ben Roethlisberger has attempted 83 passes in a two-game stretch -- he threw 91 in Weeks 7-8 in 2006 -- but it seems like a surprising number given the soreness in his right shoulder. For the second game in a row, Roethlisberger did not attempt a deep pass against the Chargers. His longest completion was 30 yards to Hines Ward, but that came on a short pass in which Ward ran most of the way to the Chargers' 8. The coaches keep insisting that cover-2 defenses, not Roethlisberger's sore shoulder, are the reason for the lack of deep passes.