The Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl running back will be key to the Steelers success Sunday. The Steelers will need to establish the run on Sunday because of the Chiefs stalwart pass defense.
The Passing game will need some help on Sunday. Ben Roethlisberger’s confidence is shaken. He is coming off the worst performance of his career with five interceptions. He has been quoted suggesting that maybe he doesn’t have it anymore. What is clear is that the Steelers cannot rely on an aggressive deep passing attack the way they have in past years and that is due to the wear and tear Roethlisberger has experienced. Rothlisberger looks like he is in the twilight of his career.
The Steelers have also been a top offense when they can bounce their two stars off of each other. It’s not possible for defenses to scheme for both Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. Although Brown has been a star, the Steelers lack an alternate and reliable passing option. Juju Smith-Schuster is still a very young player, Martavis Bryant is more of just a big play threat and Jesse James is an average tight end at best.
The Chiefs pass defense personnel deserves much of the credit for their success. Pro Bowler Marcus Peters and Terrance Mitchell have done fine jobs for the Chiefs defense. Buddy Parker, their safety, has been a leader in the tackles department. The Chiefs add a star pass rusher in Justin Houston to their pass defense. Clearly, the way to beat them is the run.
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The Steelers will need to establish Le’Veon Bell early. This will make the Chiefs put eight men in the box and have to key in on the run. Bell has shown that he can carry the load often being compared to the other top backs in the league.