The Kansas City Chiefs want to make history by becoming the first-ever team to three-repeat the Super Bowl. Their odds seem strong at 6-0 as the NFL’s lone unbeaten team. But Ben Roethlisberger isn’t convinced, believing this is the year their streak might end.
“I think if anything, for the first time, this will make some news…I think if anything, they look more beatable,” Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast. “I know they’re undefeated, and I know that they’re a great football team.”
Roethlisberger sat and watched their Sunday game against the San Francisco 49ers. Despite the 49ers missing multiple key pieces, including RB Christian McCaffrey, while losing WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk mid-game, Kansas City only led 14-12 going into the fourth quarter. Two long scoring drives put San Francisco away in the end, but QB Patrick Mahomes finished with an ugly stat line, throwing for just 154 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions, while TE Travis Kelce had just four catches for 17 yards.
Hardly the video-game numbers they were putting up just two seasons ago when Mahomes won MVP and Kelce went off for a 1,300-yard, 12-touchdown season. Entering this year, Mahomes had thrown for 219 touchdowns to 64 interceptions. In 2024, he has more picks (eight) than touchdown passes (six).
Heading into Week 8, the Chiefs are averaging 24.3 points per game. The Steelers? They’re close behind at 23.0 per game.
“I just disagree a little bit that they’re the frontrunner of the AFC,” Roethlisberger said. “Now, I will say they’re going to be there because they are the Chiefs and they’re the defending champ, and they’ve got Patrick and Reid and Kelce and those guys. But watching them yesterday, I wasn’t overly impressed. I’ve seen some teams I think have been impressive.”
The Chiefs found themselves in a similar spot last season, an offense struggling and sputtering. But they regrouped for the playoffs, and though they failed to score more than 27 in four postseason contests, they won their second Super Bowl in as many years. As Roethlisberger notes, they’re impossible to count out but don’t look like the juggernauts of past seasons.
It makes the Christmas Day game against them more palatable. Pittsburgh has always struggled against Mahomes, but if there’s a year to win against him, it’s 2024. Roethlisberger thinks the Steelers can compete.
“That’ll be a fun one. That’ll be a fun one. Steelers playing the way they played the last week, it’ll be fun.”
As he said elsewhere on his show, Pittsburgh could make a playoff run. That may inevitably lead to a playoff meeting at Arrowhead. It’s where Ben Roethlisberger played his final NFL game, blown out 42-21 in a Wild Card loss. This time around, things could be different.
