By F. Dale Lolley, Staff writer

dlolley@observer-reporter.com

PITTSBURGH - It's not all that strange for NFL teams to win games with strong defensive efforts.

It is strange, however, to need a superior defensive effort to win a game in which your offense rolls up 410 yards and does not commit a turnover. That's the situation the Steelers found themselves in Sunday.

Despite moving the ball up and down a wind-swept and wet field against the San Diego Chargers, the Steelers were unable to score a touchdown.

But a first-half safety by James Harrison and three Jeff Reed field goals - the last one coming from 32 yards with 11 seconds remaining - gave the Steelers an 11-10 victory at Heinz Field. It was the first 11-10 game in NFL history.

After throwing eight interceptions and one touchdown pass in the Steelers' last three games, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 308 yards with no interceptions against the Chargers.

Pittsburgh improved to 7-3 int he AFC North and one game ahead of Baltimore, a 30-10 loser against the New York Giants.

Roethlisberger led the Steelers on a game-winning drive from their own 13-yard line, going six-for-six for 62 yards to set up Reed's field goal. Four of Roethlisberger's completions were to Hines Ward, who had 11 catches for 124 yards - his second consecutive 100-yard game.

"To take the ball the length of the field at the end to provide us with the win was big-time stuff," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

The Steelers had two touchdowns called back because of penalties - one on Pittsburgh, one on the Chargers, in the closing seconds.

Willie Parker, who rushed for 115 yards on 25 carries, had a four-yard TD run with 21 seconds remaining negated by a holding penalty on tight end Sean McHugh. It was one of 13 Pittsburgh penalties. San Diego was penalized twice.

The penalty moved the ball back to the San Diego 14 and Tomlin sent Reed onto the field for a field goal with 15 seconds left.

"As soon as I hit it - it was probably my best hit of the day - I knew it was good," said Reed. "The odds were against me with the field and the wind and all of that. But that's part of it, and I'm glad I came through for us."

After the ensuing kickoff, San Diego quarterback Phillip Rivers threw a short pass to LaDainian Tomlinson, who pitched the ball to wide receiver Chris Chambers. Chambers then threw the ball back across the field and Steelers safety Troy Polamalu jumped in front of the intended receiver, batting the ball to the ground. Polamalu scooped it for an apparent touchdown as time expired.

After a lengthy review, the officiating crew ruled that the first lateral was an illegal forward pass, a decision referee Scott Green said following the game was incorrect.

"We should have let the play go through to the end," Green said. "It was misinterpreted, instead of killing the play we should have let the play go through."

The Steelers were simply glad to come away with the win regardless of the score, particularly after being stopped on a fourth-and-goal run in the first quarter.

Mewelde Moore was stopped for the second week in a row on fourth down with San Diego (4-6) holding a 7-0 lead on a three-yard TD run by Tomlinson.

Three plays after that, however, James Harrison sacked Rivers, stripping him of the ball. Offensive lineman Marcus McNeil scooped up the loose ball but also was tackled by Harrison for a safety that trimmed San Diego's lead to 7-2.

The Chargers drove deep into Pittsburgh territory late in the first half, but Harrison intercepted Rivers at the Steelers' 10. Harrison's 33-yard return set up a 21-yard field goal by Reed as time expired to trim the Chargers' lead to 7-5 at the half.

The Steelers opened the second half with a long drive but were again forced to settle for a Reed field goal, this one from 41 yards, for an 8-7 lead.

San Diego, which was held to 213 total yards, drove from its 18 to the Pittsburgh 4 early in the fourth quarter but settled for a 22-yard Nate Kaeding field goal and 10-8 lead.

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