With stay sports activities nonetheless a while away in North America, sports activities networks proceed to broadcast nice video games from their huge content material libraries. That development continues Monday when ESPN will rebroadcast the moment Monday Evening Soccer basic between the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers from 2015. The sport will re-air at 5 p.m. PT following “Peyton’s Locations.”

That sport, which featured a rookie Melvin Gordon and a still-dominant Antonio Gates, noticed 4 lead adjustments in a back-and-forth battle. Although the schedule makers initially meant the matchup to function 2004 NFL Draft alumni Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger, the latter missed the sport attributable to an damage suffered two weeks earlier. In his place, a 35-year-old Michael Vick made one of many closing begins of his profession.

Vick carried out admirably given his limitations — he accomplished 13 of 26 passes for 203 yards, one landing, and an interception whereas additionally delivering a 24-yard scramble — however third-year operating again Le’Veon Bell turned the star of the night time. Bell completed the sport with 127 yards from scrimmage and capped it off by scoring the go-ahead landing simply as time expired.

Although few possible keep in mind given the end result, Gordon delivered certainly one of his first large performances within the NFL. The rookie recorded 94 yards from scrimmage — 52 coming as a receiver — and helped hold the Chargers shut late into the sport.

The defeat previewed what would turn out to be a misplaced season for the Chargers, who completed 4-12 in head coach Mike McCoy’s penultimate season on the helm.

— Jason B. Hirschhorn is an award-winning sports activities journalist and Professional Soccer Writers of America member. Comply with him on Twitter: @by_JBH