After a first-round bye, the Kansas City Chiefs face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs this Sunday.
The Steelers are coming off a huge 30-12 win over the Miami Dolphins last weekend in the Wild Card, and they travel to Arrowhead Stadium this weekend as one-point underdogs.
####Last time they met
When the two teams met in week 4, Pittsburgh won 43-14, holding the Chiefs to just 378 total yards. The Steelers dominated from start to finish, at one point leading 36-0.
On that night, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisber threw for 300 yards and 5 touchdowns, while running back Le’Veon Bell ran for nearly 150 yards.
The Chiefs offense on the other hand was anemic, and wouldn’t get onto the scoreboard until late in the game.
Things have changed since the loss in Pittsburgh however. Since being blown out in week 4, the Chiefs have gone 10-2, and outscoring opponents by 85 points over that stretch. Wide receiver and return man Tyreek Hill scored his second touchdown of the season in the meaningless fourth quarter in the last matchup. In the ensuing weeks, Hill emerged as star for the Chiefs, and has become constant threat to score anytime he is on the field.
The Chiefs were also missing an impact player on the defensive side of the ball the last time they saw Pittsburgh. Linebacker Tamba Hali was out in week 4, and his skills were certainly missed. Hali is still dealing with a nagging knee issue, and did not practice on Friday. His status is uncertain for Sunday, but signs are encouraging that he will play. (More to come on injuries.)
####What’s on the line
In short, a spot in the AFC Championship game. The Chiefs’ last playoff win over the Steelers came on Jan. 8, 1994. The game ended in overtime with a 32-yard Nick Lowery field goal, giving the Chiefs a 27-24 victory.
The winner on Sunday evening in Kansas City will head to Foxboro, MA next weekend to take on the No. 1 seeded New England Patriots, who beat the Houston Texans 34-16 last night.
####What the Chiefs can do to win
Aside from an extra week’s rest, what earning the first-round bye did was give the Chiefs home-field advantage. Not only do the Chiefs have the comfort of playing in their hometown and on their own field, but Kansas City’s fan can also cause problems for opposing teams. In 2014, the Arrowhead crowd broke the world noise record hitting an astounding 142.2 decibels.
Headed into a September matchup with the Chiefs, New York Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick mentioned how an opposing offense must prepare for playing at Arrowhead Stadium. Fitzpatrick told USA Today, “the majority of the game is going to be in silent cadence just because of how loud it’s going to be…it’s so loud you can’t communicate otherwise”.
The Chiefs have had great success at Arrowhead Stadium. Since Andy Reid took over in 2013, they are 23-9 at home and have won 18 of their last 23 there. During these games, the Chiefs have outscored opposing teams by an average of more than nine points.
Kansas City gives up an average of 23.6 points per game, but they give up a stout 15.8 points per game at home.
It will be important for the Chiefs to protect quarterback Alex Smith from a surging Steelers pass rush. Through week 8, Pittsburgh was last in the league with 8.0 sacks. From week 9 through week 16, the Steelers led the NFL with 30.0. The Chiefs, on the other hand, allowed only 4.0 sacks in their last five regular games of the season.
In his postseason career, Smith has played phenomenally well. In five postseason games, Smith has thrown for 11 touchdowns and just one interception, throwing for 240-plus yards in three of those games.
During the regular season, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 29 touchdowns and 13 picks, with a 70.8-percent completion percentage. But Roethlisberger’s play drops on the road. Away from Pittsburgh, he has thrown just nine touchdowns and a whopping eight interceptions. He has also completed only 59.4 percent of his passes.
####Injury Report
Spencer Ware, Eric Berry, Justin Houston and Tamba Hali were all listed on Kansas City’s injury report this week. Hali, however, was the only player to miss practice on Saturday. Playing statuses for each of these players have not yet been determined for the game on Sunday.
The Steelers enter Sunday’s matchup relatively healthy. They will likely be missing tight end Ladarius Green, who is doubtful with a concussion, and linebacker Anthony Chickillo has been ruled out. Every other player listed on the injury report participated in some capacity in Friday’s practice.
After leaving the stadium in a walking boot last Sunday, Roethlisberger appears to be healthy, having fully practiced Friday.
####Weather Advisory
As a result of severe weather in Missouri and the greater Kansas City area, the NFL moved kickoff back from its original noon start to 7:20 p.m. The game will be broadcast on NBC.
_Edited by Eli Lederman | elederman@themaneater.com_