After completing a comeback victory in overtime against the Kansas City Chiefs, the San Diego Chargers (9-7) will be the sixth and final AFC playoff team, thus eliminating the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8).
Against mostly reserves playing for the Chiefs, who entered the game locked into the five seed in the AFC playoff picture, San Diego needed all four quarters and an overtime field goal to eventually defeat their AFC West rivals.
Pittsburgh needed San Diego to lose to complete an improbable run to clinching a playoff berth and a showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals (11-5) next weekend. Instead, the Chargers will go to Cincinnati and take on the AFC North champions in the first round of the NFL playoffs.
The Steelers finished the year 8-4 after an 0-4 start, winning six of the last eight thanks to two three-game winning streaks. With losses earlier in the day by Miami and Baltimore, they were the only remaining playoff eligible team in the AFC when the Chiefs-Chargers game began.
Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Steelers
