Here’s what the KC Chiefs need to do in order to beat Steelers, reach divisional round
The Chiefs open the postseason by welcoming the Pittsburgh Steelers to Arrowhead Stadium on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
It’s a win-or-go-home playoff scenario. Or, in the case of the Chiefs (12-5), stay home if they don’t advance.
Sunday’s meeting is the 37th all-time between the Chiefs and Steelers (9-7-1). While the Steelers hold a 23-13 advantage in those games, the Chiefs rolled to a 36-10 win at home in Week 16.
Here are four key areas to monitor for the Chiefs, who hope to reach a third straight Super Bowl.
DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE
According to just about everyone, the Chiefs should face little resistance Sunday night.
The home team is favored by 12.5 points. And the Chiefs recently blew out the Steelers even with multiple players sidelined, including tight end Travis Kelce, standout rookie linebacker Nick Bolton, kicker Harrison Butker and punter Tommy Townsend.
So the game is over before the two teams even take the field, right? Not so fast.
“We certainly don’t look it at that way,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “There are 14 teams that make this tournament, per say, and any team can beat any other team. And the minute you start thinking that’s not the case, that’s when you get knocked out.”
Spagnuolo has been in the NFL a long time, so he knows what he’s talking about. His defense with the Giants was responsible for arguably the biggest upset of the modern Super Bowl era, when New York stunned the heavily favored New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
The Chiefs won’t take lightly a Steelers team coached by Mike Tomin and led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
“We know this is a good football team,” Spagnuolo said. “We know this is a good offense. We know this is a great quarterback with weapons; they can run the football.”
Safety Tyrann Mathieu, agreed with his defensive coordinator.
“For us, coming into this game, we understand it’s going to be a four-quarter game, possibly could be more, and then you’re dealing with a quarterback that really has all the experience in the world,” Mathieu said. “He’s won two championships, he’s been to the playoffs a bunch, and then he has some great talent around him, as well. So we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Bottom line here: The Chiefs will come in prepared. Games are played on the field, not on paper.
SECOND SHOT AT WATT
Two-time All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt was battling a rib injury leading to Week 16, and it showed on the field.
He played just 38 of the Steelers’ 69 total defensive snaps (55%) and was clearly limited, so much so that he recorded just a single tackle. Watt wasn’t on the field for the first-quarter touchdown play in which Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a full 7 seconds in the pocket before finding wide receiver Byron Pringle for a 5-yard score.
Watt’s healthy now and finished the regular season on a roll, totaling 10 tackles, five sacks and eight quarterback hits over the final two games. His 22.5 sacks in 2021 tied the NFL record for sacks in a season.
“He’s a special player,” Mahomes said. “I mean, I don’t know what runs in that family, but they have great football players over there. T.J. is not only special as far as the way he can bend to get to the quarterback, but the effort he plays with.”
The Steelers’ pass-rusher is an elite talent who is capable of taking over a game. The Chiefs saw a banged-up Watt in Week 16. They now get to face the healthy version. Veteran Chiefs right tackle Andrew Wylie figures to have a busy night.
STOP THE RUN
The Chiefs went 3-1 to finish the regular season. But their run defense has become an issue. The Steelers, L.A. Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos totaled 573 yards rushing and five touchdowns in those games.
Five hundred and seventy-three. Only the Bengals failed to top 100.
Rookie Steelers running back Najee Harris piled up 110 yards (93 rushing) against the Chiefs in Week 16, but he missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with an elbow injury.
Whether it’s Harris or someone else carrying the ball for the Steelers Sunday night, the Chiefs need to step it up. They don’t want to get scorched in a playoff game because of suspect run-stopping and missed tackles.
“We want to be playing better than we did the last two games,” Spagnuolo said. “I think we all agree with that, and hopefully know that what we’re faced with is no margin for error now.”
DROWN THE TOWEL
Steelers fans travel well in support of their team and make their presence known with those Terrible Towels.
Chiefs fans, often referred to as the Sea of Red by coach Andy Reid, must match or best the intensity of the Steelers faithful.
This shouldn’t be a big issue, though, as Reid has often lauded the Arrowhead Stadium crowd noise after home games — especially after games this season against the Packers and Cowboy — two more franchises whose fans travel well.
Chiefs fans need to bring it on Sunday in order to keep the Steelers out of it.
This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Here’s what the KC Chiefs need to do in order to beat Steelers, reach divisional round."
