Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and welcome to a Wednesday afternoon special of Pittsburgh Steelers football. This time they will be taking on the back-to-back Super Bowl champions. The Kansas City Chiefs once again look like the class of the league at 14-1 with a chance to lock up the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Meanwhile, the Steelers are attempting to hold onto the AFC North lead, which they only have via tiebreaker after their loss just a few days ago.
Because of this Wednesday football game, both teams have been in a three-game, 11-day gauntlet. Both sides have some key injuries to manage, but the Steelers are finally getting healthy after missing several key starters over the last two weeks.
The Steelers will look to avoid yet another three-game loss streak in the month of December. If they want to make a deep playoff run, they need to get hot now and they need to prove they can beat the Chiefs at home. Chances are any deep playoff run would require a win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
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Steelers’ Inactive Players
QB Justin Fields (3rd QB)
CB Joey Porter Jr.
WR Ben Skowronek
DL Dean Lowry
OLB Preston Smith
Chiefs’ Inactive Players
DT Chris Jones
DB Chamarri Conner
OT D.J. Humphries
OL C.J. Hanson
OL Ethan Driskell
DE Malik Herring
DE Joshua Uche
START OF GAME
The Steelers are starting with the ball on the 30 after a touchback.
1st and 10, Russell Wilson complete to Freiermuth for 7 yards. 2nd and 3, Najee Harris off left tackle for a yard. 3rd and 2, Wilson was nearly sacked and fumbled but recovered. The punt was returned 25 yards to the 42 — almost in field goal range.
1st and 10, Isiah Pacheco up the middle for 8 yards. 2nd and 2, Pacheco up the middle for a yard. 3rd and 1, Cam Heyward and Patrick Queen stopped Kareem Hunt short of the first down. They lined up to go for it on fourth before calling a timeout. They went for it and converted. Aggressive early by the Chiefs.
The Chiefs called their second timeout already. 1st and 10, Mahomes complete to Kelce for 4 yards. 2nd and 6, Mahomes scrambled for 12 yards.
1st and 10, Mahomes complete to Noah Gray for 6 yards. 2nd and 4, Mahomes to Xavier Worthy and he raced to the goal line for a touchdown. He committed a penalty which resulted in a missed extra point. 6-0 Chiefs.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 2 yards. 2nd and 8, Harris around the right end for 10 yards.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 2 yards. 2nd and 8, Wilson was sacked for a loss of 10. 3rd and 18, incomplete to Pickens. It looked flag worthy, but no penalty. The punt went 58 yards and the Steelers forced a fumble. That is four in a row they were unable to recover.
1st and 10, Hunt tackled for a loss by T.J. Watt. 2nd and 11, Mahomes incomplete to Marquise Brown. 3rd and 11, Mahomes scrambled and flicked the ball for a first down. Defensive holding declined.
1st and 10, Mahomes complete to Watson for 49 yards. Donte Jackson saved the touchdown, but they flipped the field.
1st and 10, James Pierre with a great pass breakup and Mahomes was hit by Cam Heyward. 2nd and 10, Worthy sweep for 6 yards. 3rd and 4, Mahomes complete to Watson for an easy touchdown. 13-0 Chiefs.
1st and 10 from the 23 after a poor return, Wilson complete to George Pickens for 41 yards.
1st and 10, Warren off left tackle for 22 yards.
1st and 10, Warren up the middle for 6 yards. 2nd and 4, Warren touchdown, but a holding call brought it back. The holding wasn’t that egregious, but boy was it costly. The next play, Wilson tossed an end zone interception.
Patrick Queen dropped an easy interception. Another squandered turnover, but they forced a punt.
1st and 10, Harris off left end for 4 yards.
END OF 1ST QUARTER: 13-0 CHIEFS
2nd and 6, complete to Pickens for 7 yards.
1st and 10, Wilson complete to Darnell Washington for 8 yards. 2nd and 2, Warren up the middle for 5 yards.
1st and 10, Wilson complete to Freiermuth for 15 yards.
1st and 10, Warren off right end for 11 yards.
1st and 10, Warren up the middle for 2 yards. 2nd and 8, incomplete deep on a throwaway. 3rd and 8, complete to Freiermuth for 15 yards.
1st and goal, Warren up the middle for 4 yards. 2nd and goal, Wilson raced to the left pylon for a touchdown. 13-7 Chiefs.
1st and 10, Mahomes to Brown for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, Mahomes incomplete to Brown. 3rd and 7, Mahomes converted to Worthy for 13 yards.
1st and 10, complete to Brown for 14 yards.
1st and 10, Pacheco for no gain. 2nd and 10, Mahomes escaped pressure and flicked it to Kelce for 6 yards. 3rd and 4, Mahomes to Hopkins for 3 yards. 4th and 1, they converted but holding brought it back. That was a huge swing because now they have to punt.
The punt rolled into the end zone for a touchback.
1st and 10, Austin swing pass for a gain of just 1. 2nd and 9, Harris up the middle for 2 yards, 3rd and 7, Wilson scrambled up the middle for 12 yards.
1st and 10, Wilson complete to Warren for 7 yards. 2nd and 3, Harris stopped for no gain. 3rd and 3, Patterson up the middle for 2 yards. The Steelers punted but there were too many men on the field so first down.
1st and 10, Warren stopped for a loss of 1. 2nd and 11, Wilson to Pickens for 2 yards. There was an early whistle or Pickens could have converted. 3rd and 9, incomplete to Williams. The punt was returned 3 yards to the 22.
1st and 10, Perine stopped by Payton Wilson for no gain. 2nd and 10, Mahomes short right to Perine for 6 yards. 3rd and 4, Minkah Fitzpatrick made an amazing tackle. Timeout taken by the Steelers
The punt went 72 yards into the end zone for a touchback. The Steelers will have 31 seconds to try to get a field goal or something with one timeout.
The first pass was complete to Freiermuth for 2 yards. 2nd and 8, a deep bomb to Mike Williams, but he didn’t get his second foot down.
END OF 1ST HALF: 13-7 CHIEFS
Join us for the second half here.
