Because the posts have been and will continue to come fast and furious, I'm going to include links to previous ones in each post, so that one can jump around between them at ease.
Previous Breakdowns:
Fake Punt Attempt
Santonio Holmes' Punt Return
1st Half Review
2nd Half Review
Celebration Thread
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The play ended with:
Why were they celebrating on a play that started out looking promising for San Diego a second after the snap?
Let's find out.
The arrows and numbers correspond with the two Chargers Woodley will take on during the play.
I included that arrow pointing to Chargers RT Jeremy Clary (I believe) Jacob Hester to highlight just how amazingly strong LaMarr Woodley is. As well as how he's also devastatingly fast. Look at that dude's balance in this image above. His knees are practically buckling and he's just about defenseless at this point against Woodley. That's pretty impressive, but Woodley wasn't done. (NOTE: Originally thought he was mauling an OT like that; less impressive when I realized its Hester; but nevertheless...)
When he sensed/saw Rivers trying to escape towards his right (he initially stepped up for a second only to see Brett Kiesel in his path), Woodley:
Above, we can see Woodley disengaging from the blocker..read: throwing him aside like a rag doll and heading for Rivers. The rest was the fun part:
Got him. Good night.
Painful just looking at it. And frankly, fortunate not to have drawn a flag.
'What's up Ignatius? My friends call me Wood.'
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That was a huge play in the game. The Chargers had just gotten a goal line stand if you remember and completed a pass to Jacob Hester for 12 yards and some breathing room on 1st and 10 from the 1 foot line. The very next play, Woodley and Keisel put San Diego back on the goal line and in an unmangable situation. Unable to get a 1st down, the Chargers had to punt, the Steelers got it back in great field position, and the decision by Mike Tomlin to go for it on 4th and goal proved to be a good gamble.