Despite misfortune with COVID diagnoses this week, the Chiefs (11-4) had plenty of weapons to shell the visiting Steelers (7-7-1) this evening.
After getting Kansas City into a quick 3rd & 7, Pittsburgh allowed first downs on five of the next six snaps and scores on each of the first four defensive possessions.
On the other side of the ball it was somehow worse. In the Steelers’ first three drives:
- RB Najee Harris had one yard on four carries
- QB Ben Roethlisberger was 2/5 for 32 yards and an INT off a flea flicker
- Offense ran 11 total plays
Pittsburgh showed signs of life in the fourth possession. Harris broke a 21-yard run and WR Chase Claypool made two consecutive circus catches:
Unfortunately the drive stalled with three straight incompletions, then K Chris Boswell hooked a 36-yard FG wide left. In P Presley Harvin III’s absence Boswell was working with an emergency holder. That discontinuity could have contributed to the Steelers’ oft-automatic kicker breaking his streak of 43 straight FG’s made under 40 yards.
Kansas City’s special teams play also suffered from the lack of their primary punter and kicker. They missed a PAT and a FG of their own, and it was 23-0 at the half.
After the break, the Steelers D forced a three-and-out, then Najee got things rolling with an 8-yard run. The next snap, WR Diontae Johnson ran a quick in-and-out route, caught a pass in stride and as he crossed the invisible first down line (with about 10 yards of separation from the nearest defender) just plumb dropped the ball. It was one of four Steelers turnovers on the day, but it hurt the most because it was an unforced error.
The Steelers then answered another Chiefs’ TD with a FG. But first they had to overcome this taunting penalty from WR Ray Ray McCloud:
Pittsburgh then allowed two more FG’s to cancel out their efforts, sandwiched around another Steelers’ one-play drive: a strip sack that set Mahomes’ offense up inside Pittsburgh’s 10.
Finally the offense was able to break through, although “too little too late” is an understatement. It took 17 plays and 85 yards but at least Pittsburgh wasn’t shut out of the end zone:
Backup QB Mason Rudolph saw time at the end of this game. He had another scramble for significant yardage (he still has the Steelers’ longest rush on the season) but made the curious decision to motion a TE across the line of scrimmage before running a spike to stop the clock. Other than that he was “check-down Charlie” going 5/8 for 35 yards.
Steely Cam 