The 6-3 Steelers, having lost both of their games against Cincinnati, are effectively a game and a half behind the 7-2 Bengals in the AFC North race. That means a victory is essential for Pittsburgh or the defending Super Bowl champions can set their sights on a wild-card playoff berth instead of a division championship. Clearly, the Bengals are in command of the division race and Pittsburgh is among the teams trying to keep pace.
The 2-7 Chiefs have long since given up their postseason aspirations, so this game is about building for a better tomorrow. Few things can stamp a rebuilding program as on the rise like a win over a quality opponent like Pittsburgh. The Chiefs have proven they can beat seriously flawed opponents like Oakland and Washington but haven't been able to truly compete against the better teams on their schedule. Merely being competitive against the Steelers would be a sign of progress for Todd Haley and the Chiefs. This could be a trap game for the Steelers. They're coming off last week's big game against Cincinnati and next week have another big AFC North matchup when they head to Baltimore. While the Chiefs aren't a dangerous opponent for them, the Steelers still need to have their minds on the task at hand.
Steelers Keys For Success
1. Strike deep. No NFL team gives up big pass plays more than the Chiefs, who have allowed a league-high 12 passes of 40 yards or longer. Defenses have focused on taking away the big play from the Steelers, who have only three passes of 20 yards or longer in the past two games after having a league-high 27 after six games.
2. Give the ball to Mendenhall. He had only 13 carries for 36 yards against the Bengals, his lowest total since becoming a starter. But the Chiefs have allowed an average of 152.3 yards rushing in the past six games because of sloppy tackling and their yards-per-carry average of 4.6 is third worst in the AFC. 3. Kick the habit. The Steelers have allowed three kickoff returns for touchdowns in the past four games and rank last in the AFC with an average return of 25.9 yards. That is good news for KC's Jamaal Charles, who is averaging 23.4 yards on 28 kick returns, with a long of 53.
Chiefs Keys For Success
1. Win on early downs offensively. The Chiefs are last in the league in third down conversion rates because negative plays on early downs leave them in long-yardage situations. They have no shot against a strong defensive opponent like Pittsburgh if they're continually facing third-and-long situations. Todd Haley needs to be creative with his play calling on first and second downs to keep the Steelers guessing.
2. Get big plays on special teams. The Steelers allowed three kickoff returns for touchdowns and the Chiefs need to get in on the fun. The Chiefs haven't been great on kickoff return but have potential when Jamaal Charles is the returner. The Chiefs need to keep Charles as their returner against Pittsburgh even though he's a bigger part of their running game now that Larry Johnson is gone. 3. Pressure Ben Roethlisberger. The Chiefs have improved in recent games in getting pressure on the opposing quarterback on key third-down plays. That has to continue against Roethlisberger and the Steelers. Roethlisberger has 10 turnovers this season and it's hard to see the Chiefs winning this game without that total going higher by game's end.
The Bottom Line
The trap game issue aside, the Steelers didn't become the program they are by losing to teams like Kansas City. Still, it's interesting to note that lesser Pittsburgh opponents like Cleveland and Detroit were able to hang in during their games against the Steelers. That's probably the best Kansas City can hope for. Despite last week's win in Oakland, the Chiefs have too many issues to think they can realistically compete with Pittsburgh. They've been blown out by many of the stronger opponents they've played and the game against the Steelers has a similar feel. If Pittsburgh comes to Arrowhead Stadium with its best game, there's little the Chiefs can do to have any say in the outcome.
Scoring prediction: Steelers 30 - Chiefs 10
The 2-7 Chiefs have long since given up their postseason aspirations, so this game is about building for a better tomorrow. Few things can stamp a rebuilding program as on the rise like a win over a quality opponent like Pittsburgh. The Chiefs have proven they can beat seriously flawed opponents like Oakland and Washington but haven't been able to truly compete against the better teams on their schedule. Merely being competitive against the Steelers would be a sign of progress for Todd Haley and the Chiefs. This could be a trap game for the Steelers. They're coming off last week's big game against Cincinnati and next week have another big AFC North matchup when they head to Baltimore. While the Chiefs aren't a dangerous opponent for them, the Steelers still need to have their minds on the task at hand.
Steelers Keys For Success
1. Strike deep. No NFL team gives up big pass plays more than the Chiefs, who have allowed a league-high 12 passes of 40 yards or longer. Defenses have focused on taking away the big play from the Steelers, who have only three passes of 20 yards or longer in the past two games after having a league-high 27 after six games.
2. Give the ball to Mendenhall. He had only 13 carries for 36 yards against the Bengals, his lowest total since becoming a starter. But the Chiefs have allowed an average of 152.3 yards rushing in the past six games because of sloppy tackling and their yards-per-carry average of 4.6 is third worst in the AFC. 3. Kick the habit. The Steelers have allowed three kickoff returns for touchdowns in the past four games and rank last in the AFC with an average return of 25.9 yards. That is good news for KC's Jamaal Charles, who is averaging 23.4 yards on 28 kick returns, with a long of 53.
Chiefs Keys For Success
1. Win on early downs offensively. The Chiefs are last in the league in third down conversion rates because negative plays on early downs leave them in long-yardage situations. They have no shot against a strong defensive opponent like Pittsburgh if they're continually facing third-and-long situations. Todd Haley needs to be creative with his play calling on first and second downs to keep the Steelers guessing.
2. Get big plays on special teams. The Steelers allowed three kickoff returns for touchdowns and the Chiefs need to get in on the fun. The Chiefs haven't been great on kickoff return but have potential when Jamaal Charles is the returner. The Chiefs need to keep Charles as their returner against Pittsburgh even though he's a bigger part of their running game now that Larry Johnson is gone. 3. Pressure Ben Roethlisberger. The Chiefs have improved in recent games in getting pressure on the opposing quarterback on key third-down plays. That has to continue against Roethlisberger and the Steelers. Roethlisberger has 10 turnovers this season and it's hard to see the Chiefs winning this game without that total going higher by game's end.
The Bottom Line
The trap game issue aside, the Steelers didn't become the program they are by losing to teams like Kansas City. Still, it's interesting to note that lesser Pittsburgh opponents like Cleveland and Detroit were able to hang in during their games against the Steelers. That's probably the best Kansas City can hope for. Despite last week's win in Oakland, the Chiefs have too many issues to think they can realistically compete with Pittsburgh. They've been blown out by many of the stronger opponents they've played and the game against the Steelers has a similar feel. If Pittsburgh comes to Arrowhead Stadium with its best game, there's little the Chiefs can do to have any say in the outcome.
Scoring prediction: Steelers 30 - Chiefs 10
