5 things we learned: The Steelers' victory is reminiscent of the Bill Cowher era

Five things we learned about Steelers 20, Chargers 10:

1. Throwback approach

Cameron Heyward may never have played for Mike Tomlin's predecessor, but he's heard enough stories and seen enough footage to know that the franchise's former head coach would approve of the Steelers' game plan.

“This is the old days of Bill Cowher,” Heyward said. “Three yards and a cloud of dust.”

Cowher concluded a coaching career that landed him in the Hall of Fame and took pride in the Steelers playing a physical brand of football based on his defense and a powerful running game that won the game in the fourth quarter.

Tomlin took a page from that playbook. The Steelers held the Chargers to one first down after halftime and minus-5 yards in the second half, then controlled the clock to secure the win.

The Steelers held an opponent to the fewest yards (168) in a game in 13 seasons and did not allow a second-half touchdown during their 3-0 start. The Chargers, who had the NFL's best runner in JK Dobbins, had 48 rushing yards at halftime but finished with 61, gaining 13 yards on six carries in the second half.

The Steelers' running game, on the other hand, only got going in the last 15 minutes. In three quarters, the Steelers managed 34 rushing yards on 19 attempts. In the fourth quarter, they managed 80 on 12 attempts. On the drive that allowed the Steelers to run down the clock, Najee Harris ran for 11 and 21 yards, and Cordarrelle Patterson managed runs of 14 and 12 yards.

2. Make do with a few

For the first time in three games, the Steelers played with only four wide receivers.

Or did they do that?

They appeared to be shorthanded when Roman Wilson did not play despite participating in full practice on Thursday and Friday. Ben Skowronek, who was used as a special teams reliever the first two weeks, was on the injured list, and the Steelers made no move to bring another receiver up from the practice squad.

That left the Steelers with George Pickens, Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller. The number dwindled to three when Jefferson missed a large portion of the game with an eye injury.

However, Tomlin was quick to remind that Patterson was a pass-receiving option, meaning the Steelers weren't short of players at all. Patterson was even listed as a receiver when he lined up alongside Pickens and Jefferson on the first snap. He was in the backfield on just four of his 23 offensive plays.

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Patterson contributed three catches for 15 yards and four carries for 33 yards. He hasn't had a chance to test the new kickoff rules yet, as opponents continue to kick the ball deep into the end zone.

Miller stepped in for Jefferson and made two catches for 31 yards. His 20-yard catch in the first half set up the Steelers' first touchdown. His 11-yard pass in the third quarter led to the tying field goal.

3. Clean up

After the Steelers committed 10 penalties for 78 yards in the Denver game, Tomlin brought in referees to oversee practice for all three practices before the game against the Chargers. Tomlin normally only has referees on site on Fridays.

The players were clearly impressed by the extra attention. The Steelers were assessed a 15-yard penalty only three times, despite not committing a single infraction in the first half.

Two of the penalties were for illegal lineup, which officials had emphasized during the first month of the season. The third was a rare defensive delay of game penalty against Keeanu Benton.

4. Comprehensive coverage

Kickoff returns continue to be lacking, with teams content to kick the ball deep into the end zone and hand possession to the opponent at the 30-yard line. The Steelers are no exception, as three of Chris Boswell's kickoffs on Sunday went unanswered. Ten of Boswell's kickoffs this season have not been returned.

But the Steelers tried twice to force a return, and the kickoff coverage team was up to the task. Boswell placed two kicks just inside the baseline, forcing Derius Davis to bring the ball out of the end zone.

His first attempt was stopped at the Chargers' 12-yard line, the second at the 20-yard line.

Punter Corliss Waitman allowed just one 5-yard return from Davis in his second game back with the Steelers. Waitman had a net average of 50.3 yards on three attempts, with his last punt going 56 yards to the Chargers' 8.

Rodney Williams, who was brought up from the practice squad, was responsible for one of the special teams tackles. Long snapper Christian Kuntz assisted on another stop.

5. Quick decisions

The integration of rookie fourth-round pick Mason McCormick into the offensive line included him playing 12 snaps at left guard in place of Spencer Anderson. When the Steelers first unpacked their jumbo package, McCormick played an additional 13 snaps as an extra blocker when lined up outside the tackles.

On defense, corner Joey Porter Jr. and inside linebacker Patrick Queen were the only players to play every snap. Queen had his most productive game since joining the Steelers, leading the team with eight tackles and nearly intercepting a pass.

With Alex Highsmith out with a groin injury, TJ Watt missed just two snaps and played 44 of a possible 46. On the defensive line, Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi each played at least 70% of the snaps.

However, the defense was only on the field for 15 plays in the second half.