Chiefs Ends Steelers Season

 

By Andrew Rosario

 

 

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers were not even supposed to in the playoffs. Going into their last regular season game against division rival Baltimore Ravens, the FPI (Football Power Index) had them having only a 6% chance of getting into the tournament. But that’s why they play the games. The Steelers take out the Ravens in overtime. The Indianapolis Colts choked against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars (a win would have put the Colts in the playoffs) and the Las Vegas Raiders took out the Los Angeles Chargers in an overtime thriller sending them and Pittsburgh to the postseason. The bad news for the Steelers was their first-round opponent was the Kansas City Chiefs who are looking to get to their third straight Super Bowl.

 

The first quarter was a punt fest with Pittsburgh out punting Kansas City 5-4 as neither team putting points on the board. The Steelers defense would be responsible for the first score of the game. With the ball on their own 31, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is hit by Steelers defensive end T.J. Watt who scoops up the ball and runs 26 yards into the end zone taking a short lived 7-0 lead. It was all downhill for Pittsburgh from that point on.

 

Before the end of the second quarter, Kansas City scored the next 21 points. First, Mahomes finds running back Jerick McKinnon with a 4-yard touchdown pass.  After another Pittsburgh punt, wide receiver Byron Pringle catches another Mahomes 12-yards touchdown pass. The Steelers go three and out giving the ball back to the Chiefs who were looking to add at least 3 more via field goal. They got more as Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce hook up for a 48-yard touchdown extending the lead to 21-7 effectively putting the game away. You would think Kansas City would rest on their laurels going into the second half. They did not.

 

 

 

 

 

Mahomes starts the third quarter moving them 68 yards in 9-plays ending in 1-yard touchdown pass to guard Nick Allegretti who checked in as an eligible receiver. This came after Tyreek Hill’s touchdown was reversed as he came up short of the goal line. The next time Pittsburgh had the ball, they saw something they had not seen all season. Steelers veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger connects on a short pass to running back Najee Harris who is hit by Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay, Jr forcing the fumble which is recovered by defensive end Frank Clark. It was the first time Harris fumbled all season. 2-plays and 28 yards later, Hill gets in the end zone as Mahomes finds him in the back off the end zone.

 

Pittsburgh added 2 meaningless touchdowns and KC tacked on 7 more as the lead ballooned to the final score 42-21.

 

Mahomes finished his night 30-39, 404 yards, 5 td’s and 1 int. Roethlisberger, in what was more than likely his last game, completed 29 of 44 passes for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns.

 

So the divisional playoff are set for next weekend. It kicks off next Saturday when the Bengals travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans at 4:30. That night, the 49ers go to Green Bay and take on the Packers 8:15. Sunday, the Rams or Cardinals go to Tampa to face the Buccaneers 3pm and the Bills go to Kansas City to face the Chiefs 6:30.

 

The winners move on to Championship Sunday to see who will go to Los Angeles and SoFi Stadium for Super Bowl LVI (56) February 13th.