In a surgical effort by the Kansas City Chiefs offense and defense over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC runs through Arrowhead Stadium, and the Chiefs Nation can celebrate their Christmas with an extra gift under the tree.
If the Kansas City Chiefs felt upset about their three-game, eleven-day juggernaut through the AFC, they certainly didn’t show it on Christmas day, handing the Pittsburgh Steelers a humbling 29-10 victory. The Chiefs offense set the tone for back-to-back weeks as Patrick Mahomes threw three more touchdowns on the day. The Steelers defense had few answers for the offense, as the Chief’s offensive line did its job.
Yes, they made mistakes on both sides of the ball, including several penalties against Jawaan Taylor, but we can nitpick a big-time win all day. Mahomes was 29 of 38 with three touchdowns, including one to Tight End Travis Kelce, who passed Tony Gonzalez for the most receiving touchdowns in Chiefs history.
The most impressive aspect of the game was the Chiefs’ defense, which sacked Wilson five times, intercepted him once in the end zone, and recovered a fumble in the third quarter. They had Wilson running for his life, and he never found a consistent offensive rhythm.
I marvel at the Chiefs ability to beat the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers on the road and the Houston Texans in Kansas City in such a short time-lapse. It’s not normal, but this team is on a mission to become the first Three-Peat Super Bowl Champion.
They have over three weeks to prepare for their AFC Divisional round in January, and they should be rested and healed.
Head Coach Andy Reid deserves Coach of the Year honors for his mastery in working through injuries and managing a team that played six of seven days a week this season. I can’t see another team more prepared to go against the NFL schedule makers and the AFC than the Chiefs.
Without Chris Jones, Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo bated Russell Wilson repeatedly in this game, and he could never find open receivers. And once again, the young cornerbacks came up big, shutting down George Pickens to three catches for 50 yards.
The Chiefs didn’t run the ball much, but they lost Isiah Pacheco to another injury that isn’t too serious. Thankfully, Kareem Hunt stepped up again, and his two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter sealed the win for Kansas City.
Although we didn’t see much of DeAndre Hopkins in this game, the Steelers defense keyed on him throughout. Hollywood Brown had some big receptions, and his inclusion in the offense has elevated it to a new level.
Before the season started, we hoped this would be the Chiefs team we watched in training camp. Yes, they are making plays, and in December, they generally play their best football. However, what separates their most recent success is that the guys are having fun again playing football.
Time will tell if the long layoff helps or hurts this team’s chemistry now, but Reid will keep them sharp and focused.
