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Struggling Steelers Drop Third Straight, Lose 29-10 to Chiefs
PITTSBURGH — For the third straight game, the Pittsburgh Steelers faced another team headed to the playoffs and a potential Super Bowl contender. For the third straight week, they fell well short.
The Steelers played right with the Kansas City Chiefs for three quarters in their Christmas Day game on Wednesday, but the two-time reigning Super Bowl champs pulled away late for a 29-10 victory at Acrisure Stadium.
The Steelers started in a hole in part because of yet another Russell Wilson turnover. After a fumble and an interception against the Baltimore Ravens last week, Wilson forced a first-quarter throw into triple coverage into the Kansas City end zone looking for Pat Freiermuth. Chiefs safety Justin Reid came down with it in the end zone.
The other reason Pittsburgh started down 13-0 was the inability of the Steelers’ defense to stop Patrick Mahomes. The Kansas City quarterback threw 38 times, completing 29 for 320 yards and three touchdowns. The Steelers did not sack him, they barely pressured him, and when they blitzed him, it only seemed to make things easier for the two-time MVP.
Mahomes led the game’s opening drive to pay dirt, finding Xavier Worthy for a 7-yard touchdown coming out of the Kansas City backfield. The second drive also ended in a score, as Justin Watson made a big play over Donte Jackson to set the Chiefs up in scoring range and then beat James Pierre in the end zone for a score.
The two-touchdown lead was more than the Wilson-lead Steelers offense could overcome. After his ill-time interception, the Steelers went on a long scoring drive, with Wilson himself taking it into the end zone, cutting the Kansas City lead to three.
The Steelers defense tightened, stopping Kansas City three straight times to close the first half and then forcing a Harrison Butker field goal on the first drive of the third quarter.
Pittsburgh matched that with a Chris Boswell score, but trailing and forced to pass, Wilson couldn’t equal Mahomes’ poise in the pocket or accuracy with the football. He finished 21 of 34 for 194 yards, with the one interception, no touchdowns and a season-low 65.1 passer rating.
He was also sacked five times, as his poor pocket management exacerbate an Steelers offensive line that struggled with what has not been a dominant Chiefs pass rush, that was also missing its best player in Chris Jones. Kansas City entered the game tied for 19th in the league in sacks.
The Steelers had to abandon the running game because of the score, despite its success. Jaylen Warren ran 11 times for 71 yards and a gaudy 6.5 yards per carry, while Najee Harris rushed 13 times for 74 yards, crossing the 1,000-yard threshold in the process.
After playing and losing three games in 11 days, the Steelers will now have 11 days off before closing their season with a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals on either Jan. 4 or 5.
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