KC Chiefs against the Pittsburgh Steelers: What the AFC leaders must do to stay on top
These two teams know each other well, don’t they?
They definitely do, and the Chiefs (10-4) and Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6-1) renew those acquaintances Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium.
Sunday’s matchup represents the 36th time, including the postseason, that the two storied franchises square off. The Steelers hold a 23-12 advantage, though the Chiefs won the last meeting behind quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ six touchdown passes in Week 2 of the 2018 season.
Based on their current record, the Steelers aren’t where they’d like to be entering this edition. But they remain a dangerous team led by coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
The Chiefs won’t take them lightly.
“They’re a good football team,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “They do a lot of different things offensively and defensively, and likewise special teams.
“You’ve got to be on your A-game with them. You saw what they did this past weekend with Tennessee, so we’ve got to cover everything, and then we’ve got to make sure we do what our guys do best, and get out and play. That’s how we roll. But they’re a heck of a team.”
The Chiefs will be looking to win their eighth straight game, clinch a playoff berth, cement another AFC West title and build upon their half-game lead in the race for the No. 1 AFC seed in the playoffs.
Here’s what they need to do in order for those things to happen.
NEXT MEN MUST PERFORM
Will the Chiefs be full strength on Sunday? That’s the most pressing question after numerous players landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list over the past week and a half.
Defensive end Chris Jones, cornerback Charvarius Ward, linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and wide receiver Josh Gordon are back after stints in the league’s protocol.
But the Chiefs still had nine players on the list as of Thursday night: wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight ends Travis Kelce and Blake Bell, offensive linemen Lucas Niang and Kyle Long, linebacker Nick Bolton, cornerback Rashad Fenton, safety Armani Watts and kicker Harrison Butker.
It’s possible five starters could miss Sunday’s game. The Chiefs, however, believe they’re prepared for worst-case scenarios.
“You know how we do things — the next man is up,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said. “We take a tremendous amount of pride in making sure that our guys are ready.”
Nobody on the roster can truly replace Hill’s and Kelce’s production if either or both are forced to sit out. But the Chiefs are hoping whoever steps in — be it Gordon or Mecole Hardman or Byron Pringle in place of Hill, or rookie Noah Gray in place of Kelce and/or Bell — can provide serviceable duty in relief.
“When it’s all said and done with, it’s still the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Bieniemy said. “We’ve got to go out there and play at a high level regardless of who’s out there. Hell, I might take a snap. It may not be good, but I’ll take a snap.”
SOMEHOW, CONTAIN WATT
Two-time All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt has a league-high 17.5 sacks. He’s capable of taking over a game.
Take it from Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., who saw Watt twice a year with the Baltimore Ravens for three seasons (2018-20) before being traded to the Chiefs last offseason.
“T.J.’s an amazing player,” Brown said. “He plays with an effort unknown to mankind. He’s very skilled at what he does, very precise with the way that he attacks your hands and has a really good feel for the game of football.
“He’s somebody that very rarely are you able to keep him off a stat sheet. That’s not going to happen.”
Watt is a clear problem for the Chiefs’ offensive line, especially with Niang, their starting right tackle, on the COVID list. If Niang can’t play, Watt, who typically lines up over the right tackle, becomes Andrew Wylie’s problem.
“Obviously, we know that whoever is lined up at that particular position is going to have his hands full ...” Bieniemy said.
FEED EDWARDS-HELAIRE
On paper alone, the Chiefs’ running game has another exploitable matchup against a Steelers’ run defense ranked 31st in the league (143.9 yards allowed per game).
If ever there were a time to protect Mahomes, who might not have a full complement of weapons at his disposal, it’s now.
A running game is a quarterback’s best friend, so it would make sense for the Chiefs get second-year pro Clyde Edwards-Helaire involved early and often. Edwards-Helaire won’t go it alone, as Darrel Williams is an ideal change-of-pace guy who can also get it done in the passing game.
The Chiefs might not have a choice but to stick with their running game on Sunday, especially if Kelce and Hill aren’t playing. The Steelers are strong against the pass, ranking 11th in the league (223.6 yards allowed per game).
ALL EYES ON FRY
The Chiefs are prepared to start kicker Elliot Fry in place of Butker. They liked what they saw from Fry in two days of practice.
“He’s done a really good job in the short time that he’s been here,” special teams coordinator Dave Toub said. “It says a lot about his work ethic.”
So far, so good ... in practice. Fry brings NFL experience from past stops with the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons, but it remains to be seen what he can do in a game these days.
Butker is widely regarded as one of the NFL’s best from long distance. He also knows the ins and outs of Arrowhead Stadium, especially in windy conditions. Fry would be thrust into a challenging situation, to be sure.
“I don’t want to talk about range right now, just because I don’t want to put him in a spot right now,” Toub said. “But we’ll find out what he is at the game.”
This story was originally published December 24, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
