Kansas City Chiefs vs Pittsburgh Steelers Match Player Stats On Oct 02, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Oct 2, 2016

PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger threw four of his five touchdown passes before halftime, and the Pittsburgh Steelers rebounded from their worst loss in 27 years to rout the Kansas City Chiefs 43-14 Sunday night.

Antonio Brown caught two touchdown passes, giving him an NFL-leading 35 TD catches since the start of the 2013 season, and Le'Veon Bell ran for 144 yards and added 34 receiving yards in his first game in more than a year.

Bell torn a knee ligament on Oct. 1, 2015, and didn't play the rest of the season, then was suspended for the first three games of this season.

Pittsburgh (3-1) was coming off a 34-3 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia.

The Steelers took advantage of turnovers on the Chiefs' first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead with 5:10 left in the first quarter and cruised to their sixth straight win over Kansas City (2-2) in Pittsburgh.

Roethlisberger had as many TD passes as incompletions as he finished 22 of 27 for 300 yards -- his 47th career 300-yard game. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Markus Wheaton and Jesse James also had scoring catches.

Brown made four catches for 64 yards in his second multiple-TD game this season and his fifth in two seasons.

The Chiefs, who beat a Roethlisberger-less Steelers 23-13 last season, didn't score until Alex Smith (30 of 50, 287 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) threw a 10-yard scoring pass to Tyreek Hill early in the fourth quarter and Pittsburgh leading 36-0. Travis Kelce caught a 3-yard TD pass from Smith in the final seconds.

Chiefs running back Spencer Ware gained 82 yards on 13 carries, and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin caught five passes for a team-high 78 yards.

The Steelers' defense, so miserable the week before while allowing 426 yards in a 34-3 setback against the Eagles, forced turnovers on the Chiefs' first two possessions, leading to two quick touchdowns.

Defensive end Stephon Tuitt caused Ware's third fumble of the season on Kansas City's opening drive, with cornerback Ross Cockrell making the recovery at the Chiefs 31.

On a third-and-9 play, Heyward-Bey split a Chiefs pass defense that was shaded to the opposite side of the field and three other Steelers receivers. Roethlisberger found him for a 31-yard touchdown. Roethlisberger then hit Wheaton for the two-point conversion as the Steelers -- the NFL's most prolific two-point team last season -- again chose to eschew the extra-point kick.

Defensive end Cam Heyward, who had only the second Steelers sack of the season on the Chiefs' first drive, then tipped a Smith pass that outside linebacker Jarvis Jones returned to the 4. Roethlisberger promptly hit Brown for the Steelers' second touchdown in 2:20.

The Steelers' defense, much more active than it was in Philadelphia, subsequently forced a short Chiefs punt, allowing Roethlisberger to find Brown again -- this time for 38 yards -- and a 22-0 Steelers lead with 1:20 still remaining in the first quarter.

Roethlisberger threw for three or more touchdowns for the fifth straight game at Heinz Field and needed only 13:40 to achieve it. He added a fourth before halftime, a 9-yard throw to tight end James with 44 seconds left before halftime -- making it 29-0.

Roethlisberger's career high for passing touchdowns in a half is five, against the Baltimore Ravens in a 38-7 Steelers win in 2007.

NOTES: Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles played for the first time since tearing an ACL last Oct. 11. ... The Steelers started two undrafted free agents, S Jordan Dangerfield and G B.J. Finney. ... Former Steelers OLB Kevin Greene received his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring during a halftime ceremony. ... Rain fell throughout the game, varying in intensity from light to heavy. ... The Chiefs haven't won in Pittsburgh since clinching a playoff berth there in 1986.