Chiefs vs. Steelers: Four stats that defined K.C.’s dominance

The Kansas City Chiefs picked up their 11th win of the year on Sunday by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers by a final score of 36-10. The win also brought with it Kansas City’s 6th straight AFC West title, and created a full game’s separation from Tennessee on the AFC side of the playoff bracket.

As it sits today, the road to Super Bowl LVI runs through Arrowhead, and Andy Reid is excited for the challenge of playing whoever dares to visit.

Here are the numbers that tell the story of the Chiefs eighth straight regular-season victory.

8

The Chiefs defense surrendered just 8 plays of 10 or more yards yesterday. Pittsburgh only crossed into Chiefs territory twice in the first 3 quarters, and had just 3 points to show for it. They did manage to cap off a 17-play drive in the fourth quarter with a touchdown, but whether to their own credit or to that of the Chiefs D, momentum never favored the black and gold. This stat highlights what Steve Spagnuolo was able to accomplish with an excellent game plan, but the consistency of this type of effort needs to be mentioned. That fourth quarter TD was the first time the Chiefs defense had let an opponent across the goal line in Arrowhead in 19 straight quarters. One hell of a stretch, and a point that supports a claim for the Kansas City defense being the best in the league.

35

There were 65 offensive snaps by the Chiefs on Sunday, 35 of which were rushing plays. Since Patrick Mahomes has taken the reins under center, the Chiefs are only averaging about 24 rushing plays per game. While it’s not a staggering margin between them and the top of the league, they are in the bottom third of the NFL in terms of rushing attempts per game since 2018.

This season, there has been a steady critique aimed towards the coaching staff for not pounding the run. The strength of the offensive line (particularly the interior), paired with the varietal skill sets spread through the running backs room have left people begging for the Chiefs to play old-school, smash-mouth AFC West football in 2021.

With the Steelers coming into Week 16 as the 31st ranked rush defense, it was a relatively safe time to give the people what they wanted. However, yesterday’s physical display could have a lasting effect on the remainder of the season. The most obvious benefit to establishing the run is opening up the pass, and if the rushing attack continues to trend in this direction, Chiefs Kingdom may well be treated to some deep ball fireworks down the stretch and in the playoffs.

6/75/2

Six catches for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns. That is the stat line of yesterday’s leading receiver for either team: Chiefs wideout Byron Pringle. 9 different Chiefs caught passes in the game and Pringle had the biggest day of them all. With Travis Kelce absent from competition, concerns were at an all-time high in regards to the Chiefs struggle to identify a third option at receiver. Mahomes was in vintage form on Sunday without his right hand man, and he threw for over 250 yards and 3 touchdown passes, and may have found his trusty third option in the process. Pringle’s career day was capped off with a catch and run for his second TD that is sure to make Chris Berman’s fastest 3 minutes on Monday Night Football.

4.5

Ben Roethlisberger went 23/35 for 159 yards. That’s good for an anemic average of 4.5 yards per attempt, and this is another shoutout to the defense for pure and utter dominance. There were only two quarterback hits today (both sacks), so the credit for this stat goes directly to the secondary.

The Chiefs are truly firing on all cylinders right now, and although it may seem silly, it’s tough to remember the last time we could honestly say that. In 2018 the defense was carried by one of the most efficient offenses the game had ever seen. In 2019, the Lombardi was brought home, but the secondary was responsible for much (if not all) of the drama that came with that feat. In 2020 the offensive line was decimated by injury and led to the season’s demise.

The Chiefs currently have a quarterback playing at an MVP caliber, a running back room that looks hungry for contact, a top three receiving core in football, a relentless pass rush, and a smart, physical, secondary.

Enjoy this victory Monday we’ve got one final “biggest game of the year” to gear up for this coming Sunday.