The Pittsburgh Steelers are 7-2 following their 28-27 win over the Washington Commanders, and they’re currently the third seed in the AFC, behind the 9-0 Chiefs and the 8-2 Bills. The AFC is lopsided, with some great teams at the top of the standings, and plenty of two- and three- win teams toward the bottom that are counting down the days until the 2025 NFL Draft. While the NFC is deeper right now, the other 15 AFC teams have one major roadblock preventing them from feeling too excited about a Super Bowl run this year: Patrick Mahomes and the seemingly inevitable Kansas City Chiefs.
Shannon Sharpe, Hall of Fame tight end, was asked on ESPN’s First Take Tuesday morning who he believes could play spoiler to the Chiefs in the AFC.
“You know who I think could give them some problems, probably the Steelers,” Sharpe said. “Probably the Steelers because they got a veteran quarterback with the addition of Pickens and Mike Williams. They’re running the ball a lot better with Jaylen Warren [back]. They’ve got a solid offensive line, they’re not great. But defensively — whew — they can cause you some problems. If you think [the Chiefs] were whiffing against the Broncos — now I don’t know when [Alex] Highsmith is gonna come back — but you know T.J. Watt, you know he’s gonna come.”
Selecting the Steelers as the most likely spoiler candidate over the Ravens or Bills was shocking at first, considering how good those teams have looked over the last few seasons and the fact that their quarterbacks are likely first and second in the NFL MVP race. However, anyone who’s watched football over the last few seasons knows that Mahomes and the Chiefs have the Bills and Ravens’ numbers. Lamar Jackson is just 1-5 against the Chiefs in his career, including last year’s AFC Championship Game where the Ravens lost 17-10 at home. Meanwhile, Josh Allen is 0-3 versus Mahomes in the playoffs.
It’s not like the Steelers have really competed with the Chiefs in recent years (0-3 vs Chiefs since 2018), but this team has a wild card of its own: quarterback Russell Wilson. Like Sharpe said, the Steelers have a veteran quarterback paired with talented receivers and a solid running game. Their offense looks miles better than it looked the last three years, and combined with their top-tier defense, there is reason to believe they could give the Chiefs a serious fight.
Kansas City’s offensive line has struggled over the last few weeks, allowing eight sacks during that span while having difficulty opening holes in the run game. The pass rush is the Steelers’ greatest strength, and Cam Heyward spearheads a pretty good run defense.
Ultimately, Russell Wilson is the difference maker that the Steelers have lacked. He takes the offense to another level. He can lead double-digit comebacks (he did it Sunday on the road). He’s an excellent leader who has the full support of the locker room. And most importantly, he’s won big games before. Wilson doesn’t melt in the spotlight, and I expect that he’d remain the same cool and collected Russell Wilson even when facing a juggernaut like the Chiefs.
We’ll get to see if Shannon Sharpe’s prediction rings true on Christmas Day when the Steelers host the Chiefs at 1 PM. I’m not predicting Pittsburgh to win that game — or saying that it will upset the Chiefs in the playoffs — but why not the Steelers? If you need one more reason for optimism, take a look at who the Steelers beat in their last playoff win in 2016 (spoiler: it was the Chiefs).
