-
Ricky Rothstein
Steelers vs. Chiefs Point Spread: AFC Divisional Round Odds
The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t won a home playoff game since beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 in overtime on Jan. 8, 1994. The 2016 AFC West champion Chiefs host their first postseason game in six years on Sunday afternoon and it comes against the Steelers, the winners of the AFC North. The victor of this game almost surely will head to New England next Sunday for the conference championship.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Point spread:Chiefs -1.5
Over/under: 44.5/p>
Date: Sunday, Jan. 15, 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers (12-5) were the big favourites of wild-card weekend at -10 against the visiting Miami Dolphins. With very cold temperatures in the Steel City, one had to make the assumption that the warm-weather Dolphins were out of their element, and they were. Final score: Steelers 30, Dolphins 12.
I would argue that Pittsburgh has the best set of offensive skill-position “triplets” in the NFL in quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le’Veon Bell and receiver Antonio Brown. This is Pittsburgh’s third straight season in the playoffs but these three guys had never played together in the postseason because Bell was hurt the past two years. They put on quite a show against the Fins. Bell had a franchise playoff-record 167 yards rushing to go with two touchdowns. Brown had first-quarter TD catches of 50 and 62 yards and finished with five receptions for 124 yards. Roethlisberger was an efficient 13-for-18 for 197 yards and those two scores, although he was picked off twice. It was Pittsburgh’s eighth straight win overall and 35th all-time playoff victory, breaking a tie with Dallas for the most in league history.
There were only two negatives last Sunday. For some reason very late in the game, the Steelers still had Roethlisberger in there and throwing the ball. Miami defensive end Cameron Wake appeared to roll over Roethlisberger’s foot on a tackle attempt with around 4:30 left in the game. Roethlisberger aggravated an old foot fracture and was in a walking boot immediately after Sunday’s game, but will play here. Coach Mike Tomlin took the blame for the play that got his QB hurt.
Secondly, Steelers outside linebackers coach Joey Porter, a former Pro Bowl player for the team, was arrested late Sunday night outside a Pittsburgh bar. He has been placed on leave. Tomlin says that will not distract his team. Pittsburgh is hoping to get back No. 1 tight end Ladarius Green this week as he sat out vs. Miami because Green was in the concussion protocol. He did practice twice last week, so he might go here.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs (12-4) are in the divisional round for the second straight year. They lost in New England last postseason after winning a wild-card game in Houston. The best thing Kansas City might have going for them this week is that head coach Andy Reid’s teams are an incredible 19-2 in his career coming off a bye week dating back to his Eagles days. This year out of their Week 5 bye, they went to Oakland and dominated the Raiders 26-10.
Kansas City got healthy with the week off, and running back Spencer Ware (ribs) and outside linebacker Justin Houston (knee) will be good to go this week. Ware missed Week 17, and Houston the final two games. Houston is one of the NFL’s best pass-rushers when healthy. He led the league in sacks in 2014 before tearing up his knee. Houston has played only five games this season but was a one-man wrecking crew in a Nov. 27 win in Denver with three sacks and 10 tackles. The Kansas City defense is going to have to play one of its best games of the season to slow the Steelers.
While the Chiefs don’t have anything close to the offensive firepower that Pittsburgh does, they have an X-factor in rookie receiver/return man Tyreek Hill. He led the Chiefs with 12 touchdowns, nine on offense and three on kick returns. No other Chiefs player had more than five touchdowns. He might be the fastest player in the league and has scored a TD of at least 68 yards in each of the past four games. I’ll be stunned if the Steelers kick the ball anywhere near him.
Steelers vs. Chiefs Predictions
These teams met Week 4 in Pittsburgh and the Steelers routed the Chiefs 43-14. Kansas City usually takes good care of the ball but turned it over twice in the first quarter and was down 22-0 after one and 36-0 entering the fourth. Roethlisberger completed 22 of 27 for 300 yards with five touchdowns, and Bell carried the ball 18 times for 144 yards. It should be noted the Chiefs didn’t have Houston back then and weren’t really using Hill in multiple ways like they are now.
There could be concern about Roethlisberger’s foot, and he has been much worse away from home this year, completing less than 60 percent with nine TDs and eight interceptions. The Steelers score nearly a touchdown fewer per game on the road. Kansas City was playing very inconsistent football back then. It has lost only twice since and both by two points.
Take the Chiefs on the spread and go under the total.