"The Steelers won yesterday but those fans who bet on them not only lost, they were cheated out of their money.

Referee Scott Green admitted after the game that his crew not only blew a call that cost Troy Polamalu a touchdown on the final play, but they confirmed it by using instant replay.

The Steelers believe that was not the only miscarriage of justice by the officiating crew.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, in his opening postgame remarks, told reporters he would take questions "provided none of them are about the officials."

"I have never seen a game with 13-1 penalties," Tomlin said.

Actually, it was 13 for 115 yards against the Steelers and two for 5 yards against San Diego. At one point, Steelers chairman Dan Rooney left his box after a Willie Parker touchdown run was nullified by a holding penalty, and spoke with the league observer in the pressbox.

Green and his crew at the least will have plenty to answer to their bosses today about the last call. If you were a betting man, the 5-point spread would have been topped had Polamalu scored. Instead, you lose.

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers completed a short pass over the middle to LaDainian Tomlinson of 3 yards. He lateraled the ball to Chris Cambers, who fumbled while trying to loft it back to tackle Marcus McNeil. But Polamalu burst through to disrupt it, scooped up the fumble and ran 12 yards for a touchdown.

After discussions and a replay review, the officials ruled there was an illegal forward pass and it had hit the turf and therefore the play was dead. A confused Green admitted afterward to a pool reporter that they were wrong.

"We should have let the play go through in the end, yes,'' Green said.

Reed adjusts to turfKicker Jeff Reed knows all about the trick winds at Heinz Field, but it's the slick turf that always seems most difficult to overcome.

Reed, whose 32-yard field goal with 15 seconds left lifted the Steelers to an unusual 11-10 victory yesterday against the Chargers, changed his approach on field goals after missing a 51-yard attempt in the first quarter.

"I'm normally a very aggressive kicker," Reed said. "But instead of taking a 2-yard approach to the ball I cut it to one-and-a-half. You're going to get different winds at this field and really, at any field. But the turf here is slick so I made adjustments."

Reed was the only offense for the Steelers yesterday, kicking three field goals. His first, from 21 yards as the first half ended, closed the Chargers lead to 7-5. He then kicked a 41-yarder in the third quarter to give the Steelers an 8-7 advantage.

Parker returns in styleParker returned to the lineup with a bang, rushing 25 times for 115 yards in just his fifth game after missing five of the past six with a knee injury and then a shoulder injury. It was his third 100-yard game of the season and 24th of his career.

Parker wore a shoulder harness to protect a torn