Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Players to Watch
After a big win against a team with a losing record the Pittsburgh Steelers control their own destiny at 9-5. A win in week 16 at home against the Kansas City Chiefs will clinch a playoff berth. The Chiefs are 8-6 and can afford another loss. The Steelers have not lost to the Chiefs in Pittsburgh since 1986. Here are a few players to watch for on Sunday.
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Jamaal Charles
For the second straight week the Steelers will face a team whose number one offensive threat is a little banged up. Last week it was Julio Jones and his hip injury. This week it will be Jamaal Charles, who did not play in the fourth quarter last week due to a head injury (possible concussion). Charles is more likely to play than Jones was and that could spell trouble for the Steelers defense. Charles has combined for 1,185 yards this season. He will likely reach 1,000 rushing yards in the game, as he is only 50 yards away.
The Chiefs running game is ranked 7th in the league with an average of 126.3 yards per game. The Steelers defense ranks 11th against the run and over the past two weeks they have only allowed 183 total rushing yards, holding both Steven Jackson and Jeremy Hill to 46 yards. Controlling Jamaal Charles will be huge because the Chiefs passing offense is ranked 30th in the league.
Alex Smith likely won’t beat you, while he also won’t lose the game. Smith has only thrown six interceptions this year but he has zero 300 yard passing games. While Charles has not had is best year, only one 100-yard rushing game, he is the biggest threat on the Chiefs offense and can take over a game if allowed to.
Ben Roethlisberger
After a phenomenal game against the Falcons for Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers face a tough challenge against a Chiefs pass defense that is second in the league allowing only 199.2 yards per game. Against the Falcons, Big Ben threw for 360 yards while completing 77% of his passes. The Chiefs defense has not allowed 300 yards passing all season long. They have held both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning under 200 yards passing. The loss of Eric Berry on defense may have impacted their pass defense as both Drew Stanton and Derek Carr have thrown for over 200 yards on the Chiefs in their past two games.
If Ben looks as sharp as he did against the Falcons, the Steelers should get their tenth win. By not throwing an interception and putting the ball where it needed to be the Steelers never really let the Falcons back into the game after they took a 13-0 lead. However, if Big Ben throws an interception or two, he could allow the Chiefs to hang around and possibly get the win. The Chiefs have only turned the ball over 16 times this season, so they likely won’t hand the ball back to the Steelers offense. The Steelers offense has been relying on Le’Veon Bell but this is the week for Big Ben to take control and carry his team to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
Steelers Secondary
Like I said earlier, Alex Smith does not have one 300-yard passing game this season. He also has only thrown six interceptions this season. The Steelers defense ranks 25th against the pass and as we’ve all seen they have had their fair share of troubles. Ike Taylor has had an injury plagued year but when he’s been on the field it hasn’t been great (see A.J. Green’s numbers in week 14) . William Gay has three pick-6’s but he’s also given up a ton big plays (see Nate Washington’s 80-yard TD).
Troy Polamalu seems to be a bit slower and hasn’t made too many “Troy” plays this year. Mike Mitchell has been downright dreadful in his first season in Pittsburgh. I dread even mentioning the name Cortez Allen. With all those negatives being stated, this is the week where the pass defense should have a good game.
The Chiefs have only thrown one touchdown to a wide receiver this year. Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs number one, has only 51 catches this year and he will not reach 1,000 yards this season. While the Steelers may not force any turnovers, they will need to keep the Chiefs passing games under wraps. They cannot allow any big plays.
If Alex Smith goes over 300 yards, then everybody in the secondary deserves to be benched. Jamaal Charles should be the player that is hard to stop, not Alex Smith and the wide receivers.
Who else should we keep an eye on Steelers Nation?