Scouting the enemy: Can the Kansas City Chiefs finally defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers?

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KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 15: Wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas #13 of the Kansas City Chiefs breaks through the tackle attempt of defensive back Mike Hilton #31 of the Pittsburgh Steelers on his way to a touchdown during the fourth quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on October 15, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. ( Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images ) /

The Steelers’ Defense

As great as the Steelers offense has been in the past, their defense should not be overlooked either. They ranked fifth in pass defense and 10^th against the run in 2017. This resulted in them allowing an average of 19.3 points per game which ranked them as seventh best in the league. The most impressive thing this defense did last season though was getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

The Steelers rank number one in league with 56 sacks on the season. If Sunday is any indication Pittsburgh does not plan on slowing down either, they finished their game against the Browns with seven sacks on the day. Having a top ten defense to go with the type of explosive offense that the Steelers have is what fans dream of seeing and is a big reason why Pittsburgh consistently goes deep into the playoffs, even if they do struggle against the New England Patriots.

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The Steelers have done an excellent job adding pieces to their defense over the past couple of years. Last year they had a massive addition in Joe Haden from the Browns to go along with their first-round pick from the 2016 draft Artie Burns. This year they spent their first-round pick on Terrel Edmunds, an athletic freak from Virginia Tech.

Pittsburgh has invested a lot into this defense having spent their past eight first-round draft picks on the defensive side of the ball. Add in All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, and it should come as no surprise that the defense is this good. The Steelers are solid across the board on this side of the ball, which should help keep them in games when the offense implodes like it did on Sunday.

The Chiefs may have caught another lucky break though. Haden suffered a mild strain in his hamstring on Sunday which caused him to miss a chunk of last weeks game and has put his availability for this upcoming week against the Chiefs in doubt. If Haden is unable to play then second-year corner, Cameron Sutton will take his place. Sutton had an up, and down the game when he came in for Haden against the Browns, he allowed one touchdown and snagged an interception on the day.

There is a bunch going on with Pittsburgh right now. From Bell and his hold out to Big Ben possibly having an injury that could affect his game. Either way, Kansas City is in for a tough game on Sunday. It will be a big test for our young quarterback to go into a hostile Heinz Field and get the win. The worry is whether or not the defense can hold the Steelers off at all, or will they get eaten up by Pittsburgh’s exceptional wide receivers.

If Mahomes continues to play at the high level he did this past Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers the Chiefs will have a legitimate shot at winning this game. A win like this could have huge ramifications down the road when it comes to playoff seeding. If the Chiefs are seriously planning on competing this season, this game against the Steelers is a must win so they can finally get over that hump that has eluded them since Reid came to town.

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