Steelers vs Chiefs: Some Surprising Facts

Oct 26, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver

(81) is unable to catch a pass while defended by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback

(21) and safety

(27) in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City won the game 34-7. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Big D, Little Splash

Steeler fans are all too familiar with the lack of defensive “splash” plays over the last few years.  That turnover ratio has greatly improved this season, and interceptions have picked up this season as well.  What is so interesting about the Chiefs (and something you may not know) is their secondary is ranked #2 in the NFL in giving up the few yards to opposing offenses, but that same secondary is the worst in the league for interceptions (4).

Lack of being able to pick the ball off and swing the momentum the other way could be a huge problem for the Chiefs if they want to win this game.  Le’Veon Bell has yet to fumble this season (furiously knocking on wood).  Hey, don’t say I’ve jinxed the guy.  There have been plenty of others out there talking about it this week.

If he holds onto the rock, the Chiefs will be depending on their secondary to nab an inaccurate pass or undercut a route to get a desperately needed turnover.  Ben Roethlisberger’s only thrown eight interceptions all season, which is his lowest since 2010 (but he’s also thrown 156 more passes so far this season).  His TD to INT ratio is 3.6 – good enough for 3rd amongst active QB’s this season.

The Steelers have been very successful in the latter part of this season to spread the ball around to Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant and not just solely depend on Antonio Brown to make the big plays on 3rd down or other situations.  It’s difficult to imagine that the Chiefs secondary will be able to consistently cover all three (plus Heath Miller) let alone intercept a pass.

Next: Offensive Explosion