SAN DIEGO – Wildcat for the win?

Goodness!

This game.

From the 1-yard line, Le’Veon Bell takes the snap, he waits, he waits, he waits -- man, did he wait -- and he follows a flailing David DeCastro into the end zone, stretching the ball over the goal line as time expires for a win the Steelers so desperately needed.

Five seconds left. Bell gets the ball. Le’Game, 24-20 Steelers.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had no doubt what was called for. Facing a potential 2-3 start, his team had to "go to the mattresses," he said, using a mafia phrase for going to war with a rival family.

"We've got to run the football," Tomlin said. "We've got Le'Veon Bell. We had an opportunity to win the game, on the road, hostile environment. We have to play to win."

And tilt the momentum once and for all.

Just when the Steelers were reeling, when Michael Vick looked listless at quarterback, he dipped into the time machine, hit the button that says "take me back to 2006" and kept rolling to his left, staving off a potential benching for Landry Jones (yes, it had gotten that bad).

Where was this all game?

"We knew it was going to be tough," Vick said immediately after the game. "I knew I wasn’t playing as great, but it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish."

Wow, this game.

The Steelers thrived when they opened up the playbook.

And they made the right call, giving Bell the ball when it mattered.

"I wanted to end the game right there, and I’m glad I did," Bell said.

This kind of road win injects confidence into the entire roster.

What did the Steelers say in the huddle before the final play?

"Let's find a way to make it epic," left tackle Kelvin Beachum said.

What it means: The Steelers are getting solid defensive performances and didn’t waste this one, as they did last week. Pittsburgh's defense has forced four turnovers and recorded eight sacks in the past two games. The D hasn’t figured out how to cover good tight ends, but it’s done enough. Consider this: Entering their final possession Monday night, the Steelers had run 44 offensive plays, the same number the Chargers ran in the second half. Those numbers could wear out a defense, but the Steelers found a way to win.

What were they thinking?: The Steelers committed six penalties for 70 yards -- in the first half. That included three straight special-teams gaffes on Antonio Brown returns, effectively ruining positive field position each time. Mike Tomlin, meet ulcer.

One reason to get excited: Jarvis Jones came up big for the Steelers, sacking Philip Rivers in the first half and stripping running back Melvin Gordon for a turnover in the second. A 2013 first-rounder, Jones was playing well entering the game but had no splash plays to show for it. Now he does.

One reason to panic: The Steelers averaged fewer than 7 yards per passing attempt for much of the game, which won’t get it done, no matter how brilliant Bell is. The Steelers played so conservatively with Vick at QB, they might as well have considered Jones. Defenses are daring Vick to throw deep and the Steelers aren’t making them pay.

Fantasy watch: If Martavis Bryant is healthy for Sunday’s game against Arizona, he’ll easily be the Steelers’ second-best receiving option, possibly the first because of how badly the Steelers need to keep defenses honest with the deep ball. Brown has been the only safe receiving play lately, but Bryant will boost the offense.

Ouch: Starting safety Will Allen hurt his left ankle in the first half and did not return.

Le’100: In 32 career games, Bell has registered at least 100 offensive yards in 20 of them. He had 100-plus yards by halftime Monday night.