Chiefs’ offense vs. Steelers: check. Special teams: check. Defense ... not so much
Some Chiefs sought the silver lining of the team’s defensive effort after their 42-37 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
After all, the Chiefs emerged victorious in a city where they hadn’t won since 1986 and got enough stops in the second half to allow their powerful offense to establish some distance in the margin.
But outside linebacker Dee Ford was having none of it.
“We had 42 (points), and what was the final score?” Ford said. “How much better would it have been if it was 42-21 or something like that?
“I know we’re capable of being better.”
For the second straight week, the Chiefs’ pass defense was torched. The Chargers’ Philip Rivers amassed 424 passing yards in their opener. Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger was better on Sunday, completing 39 of 60 for 452 yards and three touchdowns. The yards were the sixth-most in a game in his career.
Roethlisberger is an ageless veteran who will wind up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Rivers might also. It’s no disgrace for a defense to yield some big numbers to them.
But the disappointment for the Chiefs was their inability to put up more resistance after grabbing a 21-0 first-quarter lead. The defense had done its part early, with two three-and-outs. The Steelers also missed a field goal.
After that, though, the Steelers evened the score with three straight touchdowns before halftime.
“We knew they were going to get going,” Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones said. “We knew what was coming, that they were going to score some points.”
There was a bit of misfortune involved as well. The Chiefs appeared to come up with two huge defensive plays, only to have both erased by penalties.
The Chiefs threatened to open a four-touchdown lead when Roethlisberger was sacked by Justin Houston. The ball popped out and, after a mad scramble, Chris Jones wound up with the ball in the end zone. The defense celebrated. But a flag had been thrown on the other side of the field. Cornerback Orlando Scandrick was flagged for holding.
In the second quarter, cornerback Steven Nelson believed he had snagged his first career interception when he stepped in front of Antonio Brown in the near corner of the end zone. But Nelson was flagged for pass interference.
The Chiefs’ defense was better in the second half. The Steelers punted away three straight possessions, and Roethlisberger wasn’t as effective after the break.
“I think we did a nice job tightening up the curves,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “And (in the second half), we got some pressure on the quarterback. At the beginning, he was just standing there and was able to deliver. We were able to get a bit more pressure and make him move.”
Still, the two-game numbers make it difficult to believe the Chiefs are 2-0. Opponents have totaled 66 first downs to the Chiefs’ 45. They’ve averaged 508 total yards to the Chiefs’ 405.5.
The Chiefs’ fast start has been more a result of the Patrick Mahomes-led offense and superb special teams play. Sunday, a week after Tyreek Hill returned a punt 91 yards for a touchdown, the Chiefs got another huge play from their special teams unit when De’Anthony Thomas set up a touchdown with a 48-yard return.
As for Bob Sutton’s defense, it’s nothing that can’t be repaired, linebacker Anthony Hitchens said.
“It wasn’t our best performance,” Hitchens said. “But it’s stuff that we can fix.”
Blair Kerkhoff
Blair Kerkhoff covers the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals and college sports for The Star.
This story was originally published September 16, 2018 at 6:01 PM.