Despite playing at home on Monday night, San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was forced to use a silent count to combat the noise from the raucous and well-traveled fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to ESPN, Rivers called San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium a “tough environment.”
“It was like being on the road,” Rivers said. “We were in silent count and we had no chance. We were checking in and out of plays, and it was about as tough as it gets. I’m usually hoarse after road games, and I’m going to be today as well.”
The Chargers took the early lead and twice held advantages in the fourth quarter, but lost the game when Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell plunged in from a yard out as time expired. The score sent the thousands of visiting Pittsburgh fans into a frenzy.
It was clear the crowd would be audibly one-sided on Pittsburgh’s first possession, when Steelers quarterback Michael Vick connected with tight end Heath Miller for 26 yards. A loud cheer of “Heathhhh” could be heard from the Steelers fans in attendance.
“How about the support that we had in the building tonight? We get that type of support just about all of the time we’re on the road, but it doesn’t get old,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “We appreciate it.”
The Chargers couldn’t have appreciated it. Hopefully Rivers won’t need to use a silent count when he’s playing in Los Angeles in the near future.