The Pittsburgh Steelers are 10-3 and well on their way to clinching a spot in the AFC playoffs, but the next month will determine their path through the playoffs and whether or not they get to host some games in front of a friendly crowd at Acrisure Stadium. Chances are good that their path at some point will run through either Buffalo or Kansas City, which are two unfriendly places to play, especially during the playoffs in cold weather.
If any team can topple the two-time defending Super Bowl-champion Chiefs on their home turf, Chris Canty believes it’s the Steelers.
“I believe the Steelers are the only ones that can go into Arrowhead [Stadium] and do it because you got a head coach that has been to multiple Super Bowls and won a championship. ‘Cause you have a quarterback that has won a championship,” Canty said Monday via ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike. “I think there is a certain learning curve that’s associated with being able to do that kind of winning. Especially when you’re talking about going up against all-time greats in Andy Reed and Patrick Mahomes. The Steelers bring the best defense to the party. The Steelers have the best special teams, and they now have an offense that is more than competent because Russell Wilson is their quarterback.”
Despite their 12-1 record, the Chiefs have looked very vulnerable this season. They aren’t quite the elaborate setup of smoke and mirrors that the 2020 Steelers were as they backed their way into the playoffs, but they’ve won four of their last five games by a total of nine points.
It’s been almost two months since they’ve won a game by more than a touchdown. Every game has been one-possession and a couple of those have been as close as it gets with blocked field goals and other last-second heroics.
“Nobody is better at mucking up a game than Mike Tomlin,” Canty said. “If the Steelers get into a game like we saw the Chiefs get into with the Chargers last night — yeah, of course, I think Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson can pull off the upset.”
Last night, for example, the Chiefs needed a last-second field goal to secure victory. No other team plays the low-scoring, field-goal games better than the Steelers right now.
The Steelers have been able to win in some hostile road environments this season. Nobody knew the Denver Broncos would be as good as they are at the time, but the Steelers won in Denver in front of an enthusiastic fan base. Their road wins against the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals were impressive, too.
There is no guarantee that the Steelers will even need to go to Arrowhead. Because the Steelers host the Chiefs on Christmas, it isn’t as difficult to pass them in the standings. Like the Steelers, the Chiefs have a couple playoffs opponents left on their schedule as well. The Christmas Day game should be pretty telling about the Steelers’ chances of winning on the road come January. If they can’t win in Pittsburgh in the regular season, good luck on the road in the postseason.
If things break their way, the conference could still end up running through Pittsburgh.
