The Pittsburgh Steelers’ schedule has not been kind to them recently. Pittsburgh’s had to hit the road to face two of the toughest teams in the NFL over the past two weeks: the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens. While they managed to keep both of those games close for the most part, it eventually got away from Pittsburgh in each game. Things don’t get any easier this week for the Steelers, as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas day.
All things considered, this is a massive game. Kansas City needs a win to lock down the first seed in the AFC. With a Steelers win, Pittsburgh would keep themselves afloat in the race for the AFC North crown. Obviously, a win would also help the Steelers in terms of playoff seeding.
Each week, the NFL’s official YouTube channel posts a preview video for each game on the weekly slate. In their video for the Steelers-Chiefs matchup, only one analyst predicted the Steelers would win.
NFL.com’s analysts picking against the Steelers isn’t anything new. Last week, seven of their 10 analysts thought the Ravens would take care of business at home. The week prior, the same amount predicted Philadelphia would come out on top. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the majority of the analysts were right in each of those affairs.
It’s hard to blame the analysts here. The Steelers have been competitive in each of their past two losses, but the game got away from them in each contest. Pittsburgh has lost its past two games by a combined 31 points. The fact that each of those was against playoff-caliber teams is also concerning.
The Steelers face an even tougher test on Wednesday against the Chiefs. Kansas City isn’t just a playoff-caliber team. They’ve taken home the last two Lombardi Trophies, and with a 14-1 record, they’re a huge threat to win their third straight this year. Kansas City has won by the skin of its teeth throughout the season, and some of those wins could have been losses against some bad teams.
Although these analysts pit the Steelers as a heavy underdog, this is still a winnable game. The Steelers are returning home, where they’re 5-1 on the year. Pittsburgh will get their star receiver, George Pickens, back as well. Kansas City has sometimes looked beatable, but winning 14 out of 15 games isn’t a fluke. Pittsburgh’s got their backs up against the wall now. A Steelers win against the Chiefs would turn a lot of heads and put the team back on track as they head into the playoffs.
