KC Chiefs pummel Steelers, winning AFC West, securing playoff berth, building AFC lead
No Travis Kelce or Nick Bolton or Lucas Niang?
Clearly it wasn’t an issue for the Chiefs on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes dissected the Steelers, completing 23 of 30 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns. The Chiefs’ defense also stepped up, holding the Steelers to 303 total yards of offense.
The result was a Chiefs’ 36-10 blowout win over the Steelers in Week 16.
“Offensively, defensively, special teams were all clicking,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “The coordinators, the coaches, the players were phenomenal, and that’s the way they were all week. They came out with great energy and just played their tail off.
Mahomes got the Chiefs on track early, leading the Chiefs (11-4) on an efficient 14-play, 68-yard drive, which running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire capped with a physical 1-yard run.
The second-year running back absorbed a punishing hit in the backfield, but bounced off before dashing in the end zone. The Chiefs also converted a fourth-and-short from inside the Steelers’ 5-yard line on the opening drive.
Mahomes’ first touchdown pass came on the team’s second drive, when he connected for a 5-yard pass to wide receiver Byron Pringle. The Chiefs’ quarterback also found receiver Mecole Hardman for an 8-yard touchdown pass on the team’s fourth possession.
Defensively, the Chiefs stymied Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who completed 23 of 35 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown with an interception.
Roethlisberger’s pick came on a failed flea-flicker in the first quarter — Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward picked off the errant pass with a circus one-handed catch. Mahomes made the Steelers pay six plays later with a laser to Pringle.
“The one-handed interception was phenomenal,” Reid said of Ward’s play.
Defensive linemen Frank Clark and Tershawn Wharton each recorded a sack, while defensive tackle Jarran Reed and safety Tyrann Mathieu each recorded a fumble recovery.
“Our front four has been dominating,” Chiefs linebacker Anthony Hitchens said. “The more they dominate, the easier it is for everybody else.”
The win, combined with the Los Angeles Chargers’ loss earlier in the afternoon, clinched the Chiefs’ sixth straight division title.
“The sixth straight time that we’ve done so with Andy as our head coach,” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “Just a tremendous job by him and his coaching staff in what I know was a very challenging week from a coaching perspective.”
The Chiefs also extended their winning streak to eight games. They hold a one-game lead over the Tennessee Titans (10-5) in the hunt for the AFC’s No. 1 postseason seed.
“It was a nice day all the way around against a good football team,” Reid said.
COLLECTIVE EFFORT
The Chiefs needed someone to step up on offense during Kelce’s absence.
But instead of a single individual, Mahomes connected with nine teammates before giving way to backup Chad Henne in the fourth quarter. Pringle paced the passing game with six catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets.
Running back Derrick Gore chipped in with three catches for 61 yards on three targets.
Running back Darrel Williams totaled 85 yards (30 yards receiving), while wide receiver Mecole Hardman grabbed three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown. Tight ends Blake Bell and rookie Noah Gray combined for three catches for 31 yards.
“We threw guys like Pringle, guys like Mecole, guys like Noah into those positions and they made plays happen and kind of filled that role the best they could,” Mahomes said.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who was activated Saturday from the reserve/COVID-19 list, totaled just two catches for 19 yards on two targets. The Chiefs may have limited his snaps because he missed three days of practice in the past week.
GOOD ENOUGH, FOR A DAY
With kicker Harrison Butker and punter Tommy Townsend landing on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Chiefs had to rely on backups to fill their roles.
Elliott Fry filled in for Butker and earned his paycheck by converting three extra-point attempts and nailing three field goals. He missed an extra-point and a 39-yard field goal attempt, but overall it was a good game for the replacement kicker.
Johnny Townsend, Tommy’s older brother, punted twice for 91 yards.
“These guys, they came out and did a great job of making it look easy and it’s not such an easy thing,” Reid said of the two kickers. “They really did a nice job.”
INTO SECOND PLACE
Reid’s place in Chiefs lore was cemented when he led the team to a win in Super Bowl LIV.
And he’s continued to climb the team’s record books ever since.
With Sunday’s victory, Reid has 102 regular-season wins, moving past Marty Schottenheimer (101) into second place for most ever by a Chiefs head coach. He trails just Hank Stram (124) now.
Reid and Stram are the only head coaches to win a Super Bowl for Kansas City.
MORE COVID-19 ROSTER SHUFFLING
The Chiefs were also without rookie linebacker Nick Bolton and rookie tackle Lucas Niang after the duo didn’t pass the NFL’s protocols Sunday morning.
Ben Niemann stepped in for Bolton, the Chiefs’ leading tackler, and totaled eight tackles.
Andrew Wylie drew the start at right tackle, his fifth of the season, and held his own against the Steelers’ All-Pro pass rusher, T.J. Watt. The Steelers appeared to have Watt, who was nursing a rib injury, on a snap count. But Wylie did his part to keep the pocket clean even when Watt was in the game.
Watt, who came in with a league-high 17.5 sacks, had just one tackle.
INJURIES
Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire suffered a collarbone injury in the second half and did not return. Safety Tyrann Matheiu suffered a quad injury in the third quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the game, as well.
INACTIVES
Kelce, Bolton, Niang and quarterback Shane Buechele were not dressed for the game.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs are on the road to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 at Paul Brown Stadium.
This story was originally published December 26, 2021 at 6:25 PM with the headline "KC Chiefs pummel Steelers, winning AFC West, securing playoff berth, building AFC lead."
