San Diego Chargers running back Darren Sproles has gotten plenty of love since scoring the winning touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.

At 5 feet 6 inches Sproles is a cute little guy and a neat story coming out of Kansas State, not exactly an NFL running backs factory.

But he's not the kind of running back that gives the Steelers problems.

The 3-4 defense is inherently tough to run outside against because the outside linebackers tend to be fast and athletic. That's certainly the case with the Steelers, who have James Harrison and LaMar Woodley outside.

Generally the running lanes can be found with a bigger, stronger back hitting the soft spot between the nose tackle and the defense ends, but this is not the kind of territory where Sproles figures to excel.

If LaDainian Tomlinson can't play Sunday, expect the Chargers to be essentially one-dimensional. And Philip Rivers throwing against a Steelers defense that can disregard the run will make for an ugly game for the Chargers.

-- John Dudley