Kansas City Chiefs

AFC Playoffs 2017: Steelers vs Chiefs: 5 Keys to the Game

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:56 p.m. ET

Fansided, Joe Soriano/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs are the two threats to the Patriots’ Super Bowl hopes, but which one will leave Sunday’s game victorious?

Sunday’s AFC Divisional Round tilt between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs could be the best of the four games, and the Chiefs have a chance at getting some revenge here. Back in Week 4, the Steelers made a statement by winning, 43-14, at home against Kansas City, and that game meant a lot to the Steelers. Just a week earlier, the Steelers put on one of the most embarrassing performances by any team in the 2016 season, losing 34-3 on the road to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Overcoming big losses is nothing new to Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. But like Pittsburgh, the Chiefs are in better shape now than they were at any other point in the season. Kansas City ended the 2016 season on a tear, beating the Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, and Atlanta Falcons in the final month. They lost to the Tennessee Titans after Andy Reid called a timeout that gave Ryan Succop a second chance, but they made up for that fluky loss with wins over the Broncos and San Diego Chargers.

Based on the way the Chiefs have played their division rivals this season (no division losses), they will prove to be a tough test for a Steelers team that boasts the league’s most dangerous attacking triumvirate (Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, and Big Ben). However, the Steelers have lost just one division game, proving that they can also rise to the occasion.

Here are five keys to a game that could be decided by a single score.

Dec 25, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell (26) runs with the ball during the first quarter of a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh won the contest 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

5. Don’t Let Le’Veon Bell Control This Game

The Kansas City Chiefs are not a high-flying offense, as they prefer to wear defenses out. They place a great deal of trust in their own defense to win them games, but this defense must face the unique challenge of stopping the NFL’s most well-rounded weapon.

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I know Ezekiel Elliott is getting all of the MVP love, but what Le’Veon Bell has done this season is just beyond ridiculous. Bell averaged 157 yards from scrimmage per game in the regular season. Save for David Johnson, there may not be a better pass-catching back in the league, and Bell is equally adept at bouncing runs outside for big gains or grinding out tough yards in between the tackles. He has seven rushing touchdowns this season, and he added two more last week against the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card Round.

Lately, the Steelers have called Bell’s number like never before. He churned out 167 yards on 29 carries against Miami, completely controlling the game and preventing the crisp Matt Moore from taking the field enough to generate points. Bell hasn’t carried the ball less than 20 times since Week 10, which is the last time the Steelers lost. Likewise, Bell hasn’t run for fewer than 90 yards in a game since that date.

When the Chiefs and Steelers last squared off on Oct. 2, Bell roasted Kansas City’s defense with 144 yards on 18 carries. While the Chiefs are seventh in the league in points per game allowed, stopping the run has been a challenge for this unit. In their only loss in December, the Chiefs surrendered 89 yards on 18 carries to DeMarco Murray and 58 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries to Derrick Henry.

The Chiefs have allowed 4.4 yards per carry on the ground this year, and Bell is working on his second straight season with 4.9 yards per carry. If he continues his dominance this Sunday, it’s hard to see a Chiefs offense that is 16th in yards per pass attempt and yards per carry winning.

Nov 27, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Eric Berry (29) awaits the start of a down in the first half against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

4. Chiefs Must Intercept Roethlisberger Twice

Ben Roethlisberger is probably the most prolific deep passer in the NFL, and defenses know that he is always looking to gamble on a big play. The two-time Super Bowl champion knows that he has the arm strength and accuracy to make any throw happen, and he can develop a rapport with any receiver. Roethlisberger trusts his guys—particularly Antonio Brown—to make plays, largely because he knows how to place the ball so that his receiver can beat the defensive back to the punch.

No matter how good the quarterback is, though, high-risk throws lead to interceptions. Roethlisberger threw an interception on 2.6 percent of his passes this past season, which means he threw a pick as frequently as Blake Bortles did.

The Chiefs defense is the best in the league at forcing turnovers, and they forced 33 of them this season. Marcus Peters and Eric Berry are two of the best in the business, and the duo combined for 10 interceptions. Peters’ strip of Kelvin Benjamin and Berry’s game-winning “pick-two” against the Atlanta Falcons rank as two of the best and most clutch plays of the season.

If the Chiefs want to maximize their chance at a victory, they will need to make those huge plays. Intercepting Roethlisberger twice would be ideal, and it is worth noting that Big Ben has thrown two interceptions in each of his last two games.

Jan 9, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (19) catches a pass during the AFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium . Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

3. Jeremy Maclin Needs To Shine

The 2016 regular season was a lost cause for wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who struggled to make an impact due to a groin injury. Maclin, however, started to show signs of life in the Chiefs Week 17 win over the San Diego Chargers, as he caught four passes for 53 yards on five targets.

Maclin’s poor 2016 season stands in contrast to the tape he put together in his first season with the Chiefs. After re-establishing himself as a true No. 1 wide receiver in 2014 with DeSean Jackson gone, Maclin signed a $55 million contract with the Chiefs to be their No. 1 guy. He certainly delivered in 2015 with 87 receptions for 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns, leading the Chiefs to the playoffs. Maclin was arguably the team’s most valuable player.

In 2016, Maclin may have been the Chiefs least valuable player on offense. He comes into the playoffs with a 57.9 percent catch rate, which is a far cry from his usual efficiency. Just last year, Maclin caught 70.2 percent of everything thrown at him.

Why is Maclin so important this week against the Steelers? According to Football Outsider’s DVOA, Pittsburgh is the worst team in the NFL at defending No. 1 wide receivers. Whether it’s via blown assignments from inexperienced corners or play-calling mistakes, the Steelers allow 85.3 yards per game to the opposition’s top target. If Alex Smith finds himself in a shootout with Roethlisberger, he’ll need Maclin to be there by his side.

Dec 4, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Spencer Ware (32) carries the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at the Georgia Dome. The Chiefs won 29-28. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

2. Spencer Ware‘s Involvement

It’s strange to think that only 12 running backs averaged more rushing yards per game than Spencer Ware this season, and yet Ware had just one 100-yard performance. Ware is a consistent, punishing force on the ground, and while Bell will overshadow him, you can’t forget just how good Ware is in the passing game. The LSU product turned seven receptions into 129 yards in Week 1, and while he hasn’t come close to approaching those numbers since, the threat of him breaking loose in the open field is always there.

The Chiefs held Ware out of their Week 17 win over the Chargers as a precaution, but he will be ready to hand it to the Steelers on Sunday. Tyreek Hill can be used on trick plays and Charcandrick West isn’t a terrible option, but Ware is clearly the best breadwinner in the Chiefs backfield.

Against a Steelers defense that allows 4.3 yards per carry, it would be wise for the Chiefs to get Ware involved. According to Sporting Charts, 28 running backs were stuffed more frequently than Ware last season, and his consistency on the ground could be important for the Chiefs. He isn’t a true home-run threat, but he has enough juice to make a defense pay.

When the Steelers were blown out by the Dolphins early in the season, they allowed 204 yards and two touchdowns to Boise State product Jay Ajayi. Last week, Pittsburgh held Ajayi to 33 yards on 16 carries.

Despite not having Cameron Heyward on the field, the Steelers run defense is almost unrecognizably better right now. That puts more pressure on Ware and the Chiefs. Memories of the Steelers back-to-back losses to the Dolphins and New England Patriots in the regular season are reminders of how critical it is to pound the rock with physicality on this defense.

Nov 22, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid talks to outside linebacker Justin Houston (50) during the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

1. How Much Of A Factor Will The Chiefs Pass Rush Be?

There may not be a better pass rushing trio in football than the one employed by the Kansas City Chiefs. Justin Houston has been one of the best players in the league for the past three years, Tamba Hali has always been a fixture in this organization, and former first-round pick Dee Ford had the best season of the three in 2016 with ten sacks.

The Chiefs pass rush is more than just the sum of their outside linebackers, though. Dontari Poe is the league’s premier pass-rushing nose tackle, and he’s been a position-defining player in that capacity. Rookie steal Chris Jones‘ relentless motor and explosive first-step make him one of the most underrated interior pass rushers in the game, and these players will give Ben Roethlisberger all that he can handle.

During the regular season, Roethlisberger’s offensive line did an incredible job, and they undoubtedly deserved the suits their quarterback bought for them. Roethlisberger was sacked on just 3.2 percent of his dropbacks, and only Derek Carr‘s “Carr Insurance” offensive line in Oakland surrendered sacks less frequently.

Roethlisberger’s size and ability to evade pressure allow him to avoid sacks, but it’s easy to forget that he used to be among the most sacked quarterbacks early in his career. From 2006-09, Roethlisberger was sacked at least 45 times in every season, but he was sacked a career-low 17 times this past season.

The Steelers organization has done a tremendous job of finding and developing solid, under-appreciated (at least, outside of Pittsburgh) offensive linemen around Big Ben. Starters Marcus Gilbert, Ramon Foster, David DeCastro, Maurkice Pouncey, and Alejandro Villanueva are some of the best pass blockers in the game. It’s up to Kansas City to make sure that they meet their match this week, and that could help them net the turnovers they may need to win this battle.