Steelers, Chiefs set for AFC playoff game
MEMORABLE SERIES MOMENT
Steelers 20, Chiefs 13
Oct. 26, 1998 at Arrowhead Stadium
The Steelers played the Chiefs at Arrowhead on Monday nights in three consecutive years in the later 1990s, and came very close to sweeping all three against excellent Marty Schottenheimer teams. The Steelers won in 无毛视频�96 with Mike Tomczak, went to the wire before losing with Kordell Stewart in 无毛视频�97, and then beat the Chiefs with Stewart in this one in 无毛视频�98.
The overflowing-capacity crowd of 76,416 (7th all-time at Arrowhead) was about 200 shy of the 2014 MNF game at Arrowhead that set a noise record of 142.2 decibels. A jet taking off registers 150 decibels to a person standing 25 feet away and can rupture eardrums. So that无毛视频檚 about what the Steelers beat in this battle of 4-2 teams. It helped that Lance Brown blocked a first-quarter punt and Fred McAfee recovered it for a touchdown.
With a 10-6 lead, rookie Hines Ward lined up in the backfield, took a handoff and threw back 17 yards to Stewart to set up a short field goal for a 13-6 lead. After Andre Rison caught a TD pass from Elvis Grbac to tie the game, Jerome Bettis led the Steelers down the field to set up a short Stewart-to-Charles Johnson TD for the go-ahead score. Carnell Lake无毛视频檚 interception and Jason Gildon无毛视频檚 strip-sack halted the last two Chiefs drives.
The tight end-led Chiefs couldn无毛视频檛 get any more than three passes to Tony Gonzalez, while the Steelers also held scary return ace Tamarick Vanover to 116 yards on seven kicks.
TALE OF THE TAPE
无毛视频淚f you look over the Kansas City Chiefs, it无毛视频檚 not the dynamo Chiefs team we无毛视频檝e seen in the past. But they do have a singular dynamo in Tyreek Hill. I know that a lot无毛视频檚 been said about him, but when you see his tape and see the things that he does, you can see that 4.29 speed is for real. They put him at split end, in the slot, as a split back. I mean, I haven无毛视频檛 seen split back since Tunch (Ilkin) and I were playing. They put him at tailback, as a side car, in motion, every way you can think of, and then punt and kick return. Any possible way they can put the ball in his hands, they do it, and he does some amazing things with it. He went 80 yards with a bubble screen. His ability to go from zero to 60 is remarkable. They ran a 35 lead, a lead blocker between the guard and tackle, and he went untouched for 60 yards. And like Tunch said, if it was flag or even touch football, he still would无毛视频檝e scored. If you don无毛视频檛 redirect him, corral him, when you have the opportunity, you still won无毛视频檛 have the opportunity, because if he无毛视频檚 ahead of you heading toward the end zone, he无毛视频檚 going to be in the end zone, I guarantee.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Steelers Radio analyst Craig Wolfley.
TOP QUESTION
How often will the Steelers use their jumbo run-game package?
The Chiefs, like the Steelers, have a quality, run-stuffing 3-4 defense that loses its anchoring nose tackle against 3-WR packages, and teams hit them with the run game. In the previous meeting, the Steelers made extensive use of four wide receivers, yet Le无毛视频橵eon Bell rushed for 144 yards. Do the Steelers use their spread package to run the ball against the Chiefs无毛视频� porous nickel? Or do they challenge the Chiefs无毛视频� 3-4 with the 3-OT/multiple TE/FB packages that have been working so well down the stretch? The latter is less risky against the Chiefs无毛视频� turnover machine of a defense.
THREE QUESTIONS
With RT MARCUS GILBERT
Q: Are you playing the best football of your life right now?
MG: 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 for somebody else to say. I think as a unit we无毛视频檝e been playing a lot better, especially with the return of Maurkice (Pouncey), and Al (Villanueva)无毛视频檚 been playing unbelievable. We无毛视频檙e growing together. Across the board, really, all of us got a lot better, and that无毛视频檚 due to coaching, our hard work and our preparation, how we handle things. But I feel great. Physically, everybody goes through the bumps and bruises, the aches, whatnot, but mentally I feel the best I无毛视频檝e felt in a long, long time.无毛视频�
Q: Does it bug you that left tackles get more love, even money, than right tackles?
MG: 无毛视频淵eah. It bothered me for a while, but I can无毛视频檛 fight City Hall. You can无毛视频檛 do anything, especially when right tackles have to face guys like Justin Houston, Von Miller, Carlos Dunlap, Khalil Mack. They all play on my side. But the quarterback knows. He knows damn well. But all you can do is go out there and be yourself and keep having fun. This is the most fun I无毛视频檝e been having because I feel we finally have a chance as a team with the health and how we无毛视频檝e been playing so well and how hot we无毛视频檝e been. Just keep the foot on the pedal. I never want this thing to end. After all this is all said and done with, what the hell are we gonna do? Sit on couch and watch another team win a championship? That无毛视频檚 not what I want to be doing.无毛视频�
Q: You were in here the other day hanging with Lil TerRio, weren无毛视频檛 you?
MG: (Laughs) 无毛视频淭rying to do a little something, man. Trying to get my likes and my followers up.无毛视频�
GAME BREAKDOWN
What to look for from the Steelers on Sunday at 8:20 p.m. at Arrowhead Stadium:
ON OFFENSE:
Antonio Brown and Le无毛视频橵eon Bell have both had big games against the Chiefs the last three seasons (including this one) and the Steelers should be able to run on a Chiefs defense playing its fourth game without heart-and-soul ILB Derrick Johnson, who tore an Achilles无毛视频� tendon and was placed on IR. Also on IR since the earlier meeting are defensive ends Allen Bailey and Jaye Howard. With all three players out the last three games, the Chiefs allowed opponents an average of 4.9 yards per carry. Those same three teams averaged a cumulative 4.0 yards per rush in all other games.
ON DEFENSE:
Bringing three rookies into their first starts at Arrowhead Stadium no doubt has the Steelers无毛视频� coaching staff concerned. But if the Steelers make their tackles, the short game of QB Alex Smith shouldn无毛视频檛 be able to outscore a Steelers team if the Steelers do their job on special teams and don无毛视频檛 turn the ball over more than once, or maybe twice. Stopping WR/RB Tyreek 无毛视频淔reak Show无毛视频� Hill and TE Travis Kelce are the keys for a Steelers defense that is as healthy as it can be without Cam Heyward (IR).
PREDICTION
The Chiefs had the bye, are healthy and have the loudest crowd in the NFL. But the Steelers are hot, almost fully healthy and have won their last four road games by protecting their quarterback. That无毛视频檚 the issue with road games, and the Steelers have allowed only one sack in their last four while the Chiefs have had only seven sacks at Arrowhead this season. Cover the tight end, stop the return man, tackle the short throws and don无毛视频檛 turn the ball over, and the Steelers 无毛视频� who have the three best prime-time players in this prime-time game 无毛视频� should win and advance to the AFC title game. Steelers, 27-20.
BY THE NUMBERS
4: Losses by the Chiefs in their last four playoff games at Arrowhead. They last won there after the 1993 season when Joe Montana beat the Steelers in overtime.
6.75: Air yards per pass attempt by Chiefs QB Alex Smith, which, according to Football Outsiders, is the second-shortest distance per throw in the NFL behind Sam Bradford.
13: Dropped interceptions of Ben Roethlisberger passes, which, again via Football Outsiders, leads the NFL.
18: Interceptions by the Chiefs this season ties for the NFL lead.
121: Rushing yards by Le无毛视频橵eon Bell last year at Arrowhead with Landry Jones at quarterback.
124: Receiving yards by Antonio Brown last year at Arrowhead with Landry Jones at quarterback.
144: Rushing yards by Bell this season against the Chiefs.
DOWNLOADS
n Winter Storm Jupiter was scheduled to hit Kansas City on Saturday at about 9 p.m. with freezing drizzle and light freezing rain until midnight and then steady freezing rain for 12 more hours. From noon through the 8:20 p.m. kickoff until about 1 a.m. Monday, the temperature is predicted to hover around 32 degrees as rain continues to fall. It all adds up to 无毛视频渁 significant icy event无毛视频� that could even cause a postponement for another day.
n With tight end Ladarius Green expected to miss a fourth consecutive game with a concussion, look for Xavier Grimble to pick up the playmaking slack and Jesse James to continue his improvement as a blocker. James was one of the key move blockers during the 10-play, all-Le无毛视频橵eon Bell drive for the Steelers无毛视频� third touchdown against Miami.
无毛视频淚f you turn on the film at the beginning of the year, I didn无毛视频檛 finish around the football as much as I am now,无毛视频� said James. 无毛视频淚f someone now is making the play, I无毛视频檓 trying to look for a block or just peel off someone, I finish blocks better.无毛视频�
n Bud Dupree and Eli Rogers had the most satisfyingly vicious hits last week, and James Harrison and Mike Mitchell had the hits which produced turnovers. But opponents must also look over their shoulders because lineman Stephon Tuitt will be coming from behind.
无毛视频淎 300-pounder coming in?无毛视频� Tuitt said with a laugh. 无毛视频淗e gets hit so hard, you never know. Strip the ball? That could be a play. You never know. And they don无毛视频檛 get up that fast. That无毛视频檚 another thing. So you try to do that.无毛视频�
Tuitt said 无毛视频渋t无毛视频檚 installed in us无毛视频� by line coach John Mitchell, and that 无毛视频渋f I don无毛视频檛 get to the quarterback, I just turn around and go.无毛视频�
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 kind of become deadly if you无毛视频檙e running down the field and make a cutback,无毛视频� said defensive coordinator Keith Butler. 无毛视频淚 wouldn无毛视频檛 want to get hit from behind by him. And he无毛视频檚 done it a few times. I think if he continues to do that he无毛视频檚 going to help us.无毛视频�
n The Steelers had just scored their third touchdown to jump out to a 20-3 lead when Butler moved his defense into a 4-3 with L.T. Walton and Big Dan McCullers inside and Tuitt moving to either end as Dupree and Harrison took turns dropping back to the second level with Ryan Shazier and Lawrence Timmons.
无毛视频淚t helps us in terms of the matchups with tight ends and defensive ends,无毛视频� Butler said. 无毛视频淥ur defensive ends are normally about 300 pounds. You take a tight end who is probably 260, 270 and try to block that guy at the point of attack 无毛视频� it gives them a problem running the ball to the tight end无毛视频檚 side. That无毛视频檚 the reason we jump to a 4-3 every now and then.无毛视频�
Dupree moves smoothly in space as a 4-3 OLB, and Harrison somehow finds a way to get it done.
无毛视频淛ames does better than you think,无毛视频� Butler said. 无毛视频淗e does better than we all think. It无毛视频檚 just a 38-year-old man. He understands the weakness of the defense and he tries to stay out of those situations as much as he can.无毛视频�
By utilizing his savvy?
无毛视频淵es. No doubt,无毛视频� Butler said.
n Ben Roethlisberger paid respect to his previous offensive lines before saying that, yes, this current line is probably the best he无毛视频檚 played behind.
Left guard Ramon Foster took it as a compliment, but understood Roethlisberger无毛视频檚 reluctance.
无毛视频淗e can无毛视频檛 say that, and you know why? Because those other two lines 无毛视频� the (Alan) Faneca line, the Willie Colon line 无毛视频� they无毛视频檝e got rings. That无毛视频檚 the separator. Personally, that无毛视频檚 why I want to be in Houston with this group. To say, 无毛视频榊eah this is the highest paid O-line in Steeler history, but what the hell did they do? Did they get a ring? Or did they just get paid?无毛视频�
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 rings, man. That last era gave up probably the most sacks, but they got the hardware. I want that hardware. Period.无毛视频�
PARTING SHOT
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 one of the most fun stadiums I have played in in my career. And I think it无毛视频檚 going to be even more exciting this time around.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Le无毛视频橵eon Bell on Arrowhead Stadium.