Steelers Overcome Sloppy, Delayed Start to Top Chiefs, 17-7

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers overcame a sloppy, rain-soaked first half to top the Kansas City Chiefs, 17-7, in their second preseason game of the 2019 season at Heinz Field on Saturday.

The start of the game was delayed nearly an hour due to rain and thunderstorms passing through the region, and when play resumed, the sloppiness transferred from the weather to the men in pads as both first-team offenses had fumbles, the Steelers had a couple of drops and the teams combined for eight first-half penalties.

Artie Burns and Terrell Edmunds combined to pull the way away from Kansas City running back Carlos Hyde in the first quarter, but the Steelers gave it right back when Donte Moncrief coughed up the ball after a one-yard grab from Mason Rudolph.


Rudolph got the start after impressing in the team’s first preseason game, but wasn’t able to get into much of an offensive rhythm. He finished with 10 completions on 15 attempts for 75, and was finally able to lead the offense to a long scoring drive late in the second quarter.


Second-year running back Jaylen Samuels scampered 14 yards around the left end for the game’s first score, capping off a 14-play, 89-yard drive that took 8:06 off the clock.

Kansas City answered back on the following possession. With starter Patrick Mahomes, who played just two series, on the bench, backup Chad Henne hit rookie Mecole Hardman from 17-yards out with 1:11 to play.

The Steelers’ offense got two tries at a two-minute drill, but with Josh Dobbs replacing Rudolph at quarterback, couldn’t convert on either. After the first drive stalled on a failed fourth-down conversion, Tuzar Skipper fell on fumbled Henne snap to give Dobbs another shot.

But Dobbs was intercepted at the goal line and had to make a touchdown-saving tackle.. Dobbs finished 6 of 11 for 95 yards.

Most of the starters played on a few series and nearly all were out of the game after halftime.

In the fourth quarter, the Steelers got a 46-yard field goal from rookie Matthew Wright and fourth-string quarterback Devlin Hodges hit rookie Diontae Johnson from 27 yards out for his first professional score.

With the Chiefs driving late, safety Marcus Allen made a huge hit on Kansas City tight end Blake Bell, knocking the ball loose. First-year linebacker Tegray Scales pounced on it to seal the victory.