On Sunday, the Chiefs fell behind the Steelers in the first half and did not recover, losing 19 to 13.
The Chiefs came out very sluggish, both offensively and defensively.
Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith said of the first half, “Pretty brutal, tough to put into words. But at that point pretty much just shutout, didn’t have anything that was positive at all. Couldn’t get in any rhythm.”
A bright spot in the first quarter was when linebacker Dee Ford, who is back from a hip injury, sacked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on their opening drive. Following a post-safety kick to the Steelers, Chiefs rookie wide receiver Jehu Chesson recovered the ball, allowing for a 46-yard field goal from rookie kicker Harrison Butker.
In the second quarter, Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters intercepted a pass from Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Unfortunately, the Chiefs were not able to capitalize on the turnover and score any points. The Chiefs only produced 6 yards of total offense in the 1st half. The score was 12-3.
This Chiefs somewhat came to life in the 2nd half. With less than 7 minutes to go, Smith connected with De-Anthony Thomas for a 57-yard touchdown, which put the Chiefs within 3 points of the Steelers, 12- 10. Rookie kicker Harrison Butker completed a 33-yard field goal that put the Chiefs only 6 points behind the Steelers at 19-13 with only 2:17 left in the game. Even though the Chiefs offense sputtered throughout the game, they put themselves in position to win the game with one minute to go.
Unfortunately, this was not to happen, and the final score remained 19-13, Steelers.
Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said, “They were the tougher team. It happened. It will light a fire within us and we will respond the right way.”
The Chiefs defense were simply not able to keep up with Big Ben and the rest of the Steelers offense. The Steelers had a total of 439 yards and 23 first downs compared to the Chiefs 251 total yards and only 12 first downs.
Coach’s final words
Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid said, “Tough, hard-fought game. We started a little too slow and we can’t do that. We finished the 2nd half better, but we can do better. All phases can do better, coaches included, head coach included.”
Steelers head coach Mike Tomli said “Big win for us versus a top-quality opponent in their venue. We respect them. We respect this venue, but we have been in here some, so I thought our guys were comfortable. The guys did what they needed to do.”
Injuries
Chiefs running back Chandrick West and wide receiver Tyreek Hill had separate injuries on the field and are both being evaluated for concussions. It’s unknown if they will play on Thursday night. Steelers linebacker Vince Williams had a hip injury, and offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert had a hamstring injury. Neither player returned to the game.
Up Next
The Chiefs head west to battle against the 2-4 Raiders on Thursday night. The Chiefs are not holding onto this loss or letting it hold them back. Chiefs Safety Daniel Sorenson said, “We are going to try and get the bad taste out of our mouth. It’s a quick turnaround. All eyes are focused on the Raiders.” Go Chiefs Kingdom!
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