The Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers will square off on Monday night in a little AFC battle. This isn't the biggest AFC rivalry of all-time, but it's a huge game. Both teams are 2-2 in much need of a win.

Let's preview the game and pick a winner.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)

The Steelers have done quite well for themselves against NFC teams so far. The Steelers have defeated the St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers, but have lost both of their AFC games. The Steelers defeats have come against the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens. Now 2-2, the Steelers are in desperation mode as the Cincinnati Bengals are thriving at 4-0.

It won't be easy as Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger is out yet again with an injury. Mike Tomlin is sticking with Michael Vick under center. Vick isn't very accurate and he doesn't have the elite mobile skills he once had, but he is a veteran. Vick will have to trust his offensive line, hand the ball off to Le'Veon and find Antonio Brown whenever possible. The Chargers don't have a great defense, but they will be at home.

Speaking of defense, the Steelers defense has exceeded expectations. The Steelers rank eighth in points allowed and 12th in yards against. Stephon Tuitt, just 22 years old, leads the Steelers in sacks so far this year.

The Steelers need to win this game for multiple reasons. Not only are they 0-2 against AFC teams and the Bengals are 4-0, but the Steelers schedule doesn't get much easier from here. After this the Steelers will face quality teams such as the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Bengals and Ravens.

San Diego Chargers (2-2)

Like the Steelers, the Chargers face a must win game this weekend as well. The Chargers narrowly defeated the Cleveland Browns last week by three points. It's unlikely the Chargers will win the AFC West over Peyton Manning and the Broncos, but a wild card spot is still very possible.

A loss this week would be extremely devastating for the Chargers' playoff hopes. To make this game even more critical for the Chargers, they have to face the Green Bay Packers next week at Lambeau Field where Aaron Rodgers is virtually unbeatable.

Philip Rivers is the far superior quarterback in this game, and the Chargers have to find a way to take advantage of that. If the Chargers can find the end zone early and often, it will force the Steelers to rely on Vick instead of their ground game. The Chargers offense hasn't been very balanced this year as they rank 20th in rushing, so Rivers will to be at his best.

Schedule

The Steelers and Chargers will play each other on Monday, Oct. 12 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN. The game will be played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. You can watch a live game stream here.

Prediction

This should be a great game between two 2-2 squads. Neither team is very consistent, and they each have tough schedules looming. The Steelers have kicking issues, and the Chargers don't have a strong running game. In the end, home-field advantage and a huge edge at the quarterback position will make the difference.

Chargers win 24-21

Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1