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Steelers host Chiefs on Sunday night
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 9/28/2016  at  6:08:00 PM
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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (2-1)
at PITTSBURGH STEELERS (2-1)

Heinz Field – Pittsburgh, PA
Kickoff: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Line: Pittsburgh -5.5, Total: 47.5

Ben Roethlisberger and Co. return to Heinz Field to try and bounce back from a decisive loss.

After sitting through 60 minutes of Chicago Bears football last week—or, more likely, going to bed—football fans will be treated to a marquee matchup on Sunday night when the Chiefs take on the Steelers in one of three games this week between two teams with winning records, and the only one involving two playoff teams from last year. The Chiefs opened their 2016 campaign by going down 24-3 to division rival San Diego before mounting a furious comeback to win 33-27 (SD +6.5) in overtime. QB Alex Smith (66.9 CMP%, 786 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs) uncharacteristically spent the day as a gunslinger, completing 34-of-48 passes for 363 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. He also made a difference with his legs, punching in a two-yard TD run to end the game in its extra period. He was far less effective the next week, as the Texans held him to 20-of-37 passing for a mere 186 yards in a 19-12 Houston (HOU +1) victory. Last week, however, it didn’t really matter what he did: the defense harassed Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick into throwing a mind-blowing six interceptions en route to a 24-3 win (KC -3). The Steelers enter Sunday coming off of experiencing the other end of a blowout, as they couldn’t get anything going in a 34-3 loss to the Eagles (PHI +3.5). Pittsburgh was torched by rookie Philly QB Carson Wentz, who completed 23-of-31 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns. As the score suggests, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (59.3 CMP%, 816 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs) was less effective, completing only 24-of-44 for 257 yards and an interception. It was an abrupt reality check for a team that started out 2-0 (2-0 ATS) against Washington and Cincinnati. In the last five seasons, favorites winning 60-75 percent of their games (Pittsburgh) are 42-17 ATS coming off a road loss. On the other side of the equation, underdogs and picks off of two or more consecutive unders (Kansas City) are 30-9 ATS over the past five seasons in games involving two teams averaging 18-23 points per game.

The Chiefs defense utterly humiliated Fitzpatrick and the Jets on Sunday, as their eight turnovers were the most they’ve committed as a team in 40 years. The unit has made a habit of forcing such performances from opposing QBs, as Brian Hoyer’s implosion in the playoffs and Peyton Manning’s third-quarter benching—both from last season—are among the worst displays of quarterbacking in recent memory. Second-year CB Marcus Peters was Fitzpatrick’s single worst tormentor, nabbing two picks on the day to earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Having played only 21 career games (regular season and playoffs), Peters already has 13 career interceptions and three multi-interception games. If and how the Steelers choose to gameplan their offense around him could put a greater burden on other parts of the defense. He missed practice on Wednesday with the flu, but there’s no indication that anyone believes he could be unavailable on Sunday. Aside from Peters, the other standout on the unit has somehow been LB Derrick Johnson, still ranking among the best defenders in the NFL at the age of 33. Not only is he the “quarterback” of the ball-hawking defense, but he’s putting up numbers: he made 11 tackles—one for a loss—defended two passes and returned Fitzpatrick’s fifth interception for a touchdown. The defense ranks 11th in the NFL in total defense with 348 yards allowed per game, sixth with 16.3 points allowed per game, first with eight interceptions and fifth with a takeaway differential of +5. The latter ranking would be higher if not for three lost fumbles in the Houston loss, two of which came from Smith. He ranks a very Alex Smith-like 15th in the NFL with a 90.6 passer rating. TE Travis Kelce (17 catches, 197 yards, TD) and RB Spencer Ware (10 catches, 185 yards) are the team’s two leaders in receiving yards, so the great Kansas City tradition of minimal wide receiver production is alive and well in 2016. With star RB Jamaal Charles yet to play this season, the running back position has been a site of uncertainty. His two fumbles notwithstanding, Ware (41 carries, 202 yards, TD) has run well, and Charcandrick West (12 carries, 63 yards) was great against the Texans, but has done little else. West is questionable to play this week with a sprained ankle. If neither he nor Charles play, RB Tyreek Hill (2 carries, -4 yards) could see his first positive rushing yardage of the season. RB Knile Davis is still on the roster, too.

Week 4 marks the return of Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell (556 rushing yards in six games last year), who most consider to be among the best running backs in the league. “You’re going to see Le’Veon Bell and probably a lot of him on Sunday,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin of his star back’s return from a three-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Up until the Eagles game, the Steelers running game didn’t appear to have much room for improvement: Backup RB DeAngelo Williams (258 rushing yards, 2 TDs, receiving TD) was arguably the best runner in the league through two weeks. But with the Steelers forced to pass while trailing big to the Eagles, Williams only got eight carries—and only converted them into 21 yards. Despite the Eagles game, the offense is still 18th in the league with exactly 100 rushing yards per game. Roethlisberger’s 816 passing yards are the 13th most in the NFL, but his 21st-best passer rating puts him on the edge of the league’s bottom third. WR Antonio Brown (24 catches, 305 yards, 2 TDs) was silent in the Bengals game but dominant in the other two, and WR Sammie Coates (7 catches, 203 yards) has four receptions of 20 or more yards. The talent infusion provided by Bell’s presence is important, as Roethlisberger struggled without slot receiver Eli Rogers (9 catches, 100 yards, TD) after he left with turf toe. Tomlin referred to him as “very questionable” to play against the Chiefs, and said the same of LB Ryan Shazier, who has an injured knee. S Robert Golden may also not play, which would be problematic for the defense due to his strong play this season. The secondary has arguably been the defense’s best unit, with CBs Ross Cockrell and William Gay both turning in good performances on the outside.


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