Photo Courtesy: Victor Araiza
Game Info
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday – January 15 – 7:20 pm
TV: NBC
Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City – MO
Records Before the Game
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5, 5-3 Away)
Kansas City Chiefs (12-5, 6-2 Home)
In order to get to the next game in the AFC the road leads through Arrowhead. This is a toss up game between these two teams. The AFC is basically given to the Patriots. I don’t see it. The winner between the Chiefs and Steelers will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. This might sound a little strange, but this is true. ESPN has the Chiefs with a 63.9% chance of winning at home. Will the Steelers beat the Chiefs or will the Chiefs finally make it over the hump with Andy Reid? Let’s take a look at this AFC contest between these two teams.
Why you shouldn’t watch this game
It’s time to get the oil changed on your car. The sticker on your window says your 2,000 miles passed due and there’s smoke coming from your cars tailpipe.
Why you should watch this game
You want to see The Killer Bees (Big Ben, Le`Veon Bell and Antonio Brown) put up big numbers against Andy Reid’s defense. On the other hand, you would like to see Alex Smith stick it to the Steelers defense.
Kansas City Chiefs
Alex Smith is the key on offense. He has played like the league’s MVP with 3,502 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. Remember he has a pretty decent team around him so he has the luxury of managing the game. His main target is Tight End Travis Kelce. Kelse leads the team with 85 receptions for 1,125 yards and 4 touchdowns. Look for Smith and Kelce to hook up at least 10 times during this game. He is Smith’s safety valve when the play breaks down. Running back Spencer Ware will get the bulk of the carries. He’s very durable and needs at least 20 carries. This offense can score, but scoring quickly leaves their defense on the field way too long. The 4th quarter will tell if the Chiefs defense could stop Le’Veon Bell.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger will be ready to start under center. After last week’s win over the Miami Dolphins, he walked into the press conference in a walking boot. “There’s no need to be alarmed”, He said. “This is just for caution”. Steeler nation panicked when he limped in. Ben will be okay, the key is stopping Le’Veon Bell. If he carries the ball more than 20 times and rack up anything over 120 yards the Steelers are 8-0. Stopping the run will be the Chiefs number one goal. Antonio Brown will get his shots down the field. Antonio Brown is so dynamic that he commands double coverage on the outside and from the slot position. He has 106 receptions on the season with 12 touchdowns and 1284 receiving yards. With the Steelers offense, you have to pick your poison: You can loose by the pass or run.
Prediction
This game comes down to how well both defenses plays. The over/under is 51. I’m picking the Chiefs to pull this one off in the 4th quarter by 3 points. This game will be that close!
