Pittsburgh @ Kansas City preview
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jan 15, 2017 ) Pittsburgh 18, Kansas City 16
The Pittsburgh Steelers were the last team to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, and they’ll try to do it again when the teams meet Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs, who were ousted from last year’s playoffs with an 18-16 home loss to the Steelers, are the lone unbeaten team remaining in the NFL.
Pittsburgh handed Kansas City a pair of losses a year ago – a 43-14 shellacking in the regular season and the playoff defeat in which the Chiefs gained only 227 total yards. Kansas City’s offense has been far more effective through five games in 2017, ranking second in the NFL in total offense and leading the league in scoring. "This will be a real good challenge for us offensively," Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters. "We are doing some things that are different, but not a bunch. I just think our execution, we didn't execute as well as we needed to last year, and we'll see how we do." The Steelers have lost two of three, including an ugly 30-9 setback against Jacksonville last week in which Ben Roethlisberger threw five interceptions.
TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Chiefs -4. O/U: 47
ABOUT THE STEELERS (3-2): Pittsburgh has struggled a bit on offense despite boasting a star running back in Le’Veon Bell and the league’s leading receiver in Antonio Brown, who has recorded three 100-yard performances already this season. Brown’s likely matchup with Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters will be a key, as will the Steelers’ ability to give Roethlisberger time against Kansas City's strong pass rush. The Steelers have had the best pass defense in the league, but they rank 28th against the run.
ABOUT THE CHIEFS (5-0): Kansas City’s offense is running smoothly with Alex Smith at the helm and surrounded by a wealth of weapons. Rookie running back Kareem Hunt leads the league in rushing (609 yards) and scrimmage yards (775) and has scored six touchdowns, while receiver Tyreek Hill is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. If the Chiefs have a glaring weakness, it’s their defense, which ranks 27th in total defense but has used seven turnovers to minimize the damage.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Smith is one of three quarterbacks in NFL history with at least 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions through the first five games of the season.
2. Roethlisberger has thrown 13 touchdown passes and three interceptions in six regular-season meetings with the Chiefs.
3. Hunt joined Adrian Peterson as the only rookies in NFL history with at least 100 scrimmages yards in each of his team’s first five games.
PREDICTION: Chiefs 26, Steelers 20