Steelers hold Tyreek Hill in check in Chiefs’ playoff loss

Tyreek Hill emerged late in the season as a Chiefs player capable of scoring from anywhere on the field on any given touch.

Hill, a fifth-round pick whose selection was controversial because he pleaded guilty to assaulting his pregnant girlfriend in December 2014, earned a Pro Bowl berth with his electrifying play as a rookie.

While Winter Storm Jupiter didn’t put Arrowhead Stadium on ice as predicted Sunday, the Steelers’ defense and special-teams coverage units managed to put Hill on ice, limiting his impact during the Chiefs’ 18-16 loss.

“We knew we had to keep a cap on 10 (Hill) and 87 (tight end Travis Kelce),” Steelers safety Sean Davis said. “We did a good job of that and came out on top.”

Hill had scored a touchdown of at least 68 yards in five of six games, including the final four in a row, to close the regular season.

With a spot in the AFC Championship Game next Sunday at New England on the line, Hill totaled 117 all-purpose yards in 11 touches.

“We just had to play our assignments,” Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree said. “It was a big focus trying to prevent their playmakers from making plays and just keeping them contained. … You’ve got to get to (Hill) before he gets on you. Just being in place and make sure he doesn’t break off a run.”

Hill had four receptions for 27 yards, rushed three times for 18 yards and averaged 18.0 yards on four kickoff returns in a pedestrian performance.

He left the locker room shortly after it was opened to the media without doing an interview, but teammates gave all the credit to the Steelers.

“That’s a great football team with a lot of great players over there and they just know how to play football,” the Chiefs’ De’Anthony Thomas said.

Hill actually made an immediate impact for the Chiefs, who gave up a field goal on the Steelers’ opening drive.

Pittsburgh elected to squib the ensuing kickoff, presumably in an effort to avoid Hill’s big-play potential.

Tight end Demetrius Harris scooped up the roller and returned it 25 yards, setting up the Chiefs’ offense with a short field at its own 45 and leading to a go-ahead touchdown.

Hill had one 7-yard carry on the drive, but coach Andy Reid also used Hill as a decoy with a variety of presnap motions that aided the scoring march.

A jet-sweep fake to Hill was critical in getting Albert Wilson open for a 5-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith, but the Steelers kept Hill quiet for the most part after that.

During the previous six weeks, Hill scored on an 86-yard kickoff return at Denver and added a 78-yard touchdown on a punt return against Oakland, a game in which he also scored on a 36-yard reception.

Against Tennessee, Hill opened the scoring with a 68-yard touchdown run and added a 70-yard touchdown run the next week against Denver at home.

Hill capped his incredible run with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown in the season finale at San Diego, helping clinch the franchise’s first AFC West title since 2010.

But trying to snap a four-game skid in AFC Divisional playoff games, Hill wasn’t the factor the Chiefs hoped he might be.

This story was originally published January 15, 2017 at 11:34 PM with the headline "Steelers hold Tyreek Hill in check in Chiefs’ playoff loss."