San Diego’s defense hasn’t exactly broken any records this year. In fact, the Chargers ended the regular season 25th in total defense in the NFL and next to last in passing defense.

However, stats aren’t the only measure of a team’s effectiveness, says coach Fichtner.

“From a defensive standpoint, I know they’ve improved since the last time we played them,” he said. “The statistics tell you that, if you like to watch statistics. But when you watch it on tape, it looks better.

“I don’t care if they went from 32nd in the league in pass defense to 31st. That means some improvement, yeah. But what do they look like on tape right now compared to eight weeks ago? They do look different. They’re playing more confident, they’re playing well, they’re understanding more schemes.”

For Fichtner, one of the most important pieces of evidence that San Diego has truly improved is that the Chargers are where they are.

Last week in the AFC Wild Card game, San Diego beat one of the top passing offenses in the NFL when they downed the Indianapolis Colts 23-17 in overtime.

“They gave Peyton (Manning) all he could think about last week,” said Fichtner. “(The Chargers) were at home, they were riding that wave of energy and the defense made some plays.”

Today, the Chargers won’t have that home field energy to rely on. And they’ll be facing an organization that, according to Fichtner, always has winning on its mind.

“The guys aren’t afraid to stand up and make a play,” he said. “Some teams, some guys hope they don’t make the mistake that loses the game. Our guys all feel like they want to be the guy that makes the play that will win the game.

“It’s a whole attitude. And it starts at the top, from (Steelers owner and chairman Dan) Rooney, down to (head coach) Mike (Tomlin), to the assistants to the players, trainers, managers, everybody. It’s unbelievable.”

Pete Chiodo can be reached at 724-6370 ext. 275 or by e-mail at pchiodo@meadvilletribune.com.