AFC Playoffs: Steelers @ Chiefs II

[hawaiiansteel]

Chiefs open up as 12.5 point favorites.

GO Steelers!!!!!!!

[SteelBucks]

We were the first to do it as a 6 seed. Now let’s be the first to do it as a 7.

Ben’s jersey number is 7. We’re going for our 7th championship. Coincidence? I think not!!!!

[LPMAN]

We were the first to do it as a 6 seed. Now let’s be the first to do it as a 7.

Ben’s jersey number is 7. We’re going for our 7th championship. Coincidence? I think not!!!!

We only have 7 players with over 7 years experience: (TURNER, HEYWARD, HADEN, BEN, EBRON, TUITT, ALUALU)

[Ernie]

The key to hanging around in this game.. is sustaining drives.. moving the sticks.. chewing up clock.
Using the middle 3rd of the field vertically to set up some semblance of a running game.
If this offense starts out like we normally do.. we will get run off the field again.

[Starlifter]

The Steelers have been avoiding the middle of the field all season - just for this moment.

They’re going vertical down the seams baby. All day long!

[Ernie]

The Steelers have been avoiding the middle of the field all season - just for this moment.

They’re going vertical down the seams baby. All day long!

I hope you are right. So much playbook available that we havent used.. this could easily be a combined TE effort of 125+ yds receiving.

[flippy]

I think we just need a little luck.

In the 1st game, Par threw an Int on KC’s 1st series that was overturned due to a penalty. Then he fumbled and KC recovered on the second series.

Ben started slow and then threw an Int on our second series. We ended up with 3 turnovers. That didn’t help our cause at all.

Where KC beat us was Pat having protection and being able to throw the ball further down the field than us.

The other difference was KC’s efficiency in the RZ.

But they didn’t run all over us. They weren’t real good on 3rd downs. We just need to protect Ben, the ball, and make a little luck and we’ll be in this.

The tone gets set early. Just like the bad snap in the playoffs against Cleveland last year. We need to avoid that.

We have to take a look in the mirror and accept the warts we have aren’t going to get fixed this season, so we need to game plan around them.

I feel like a broken record saying this, but it’s time to let Ben go no huddle and spread out the D on the first series.

None of this running Najee into a pile of bodies in the middle of the field for 2 no gainers to start the game. It’s time to play with some urgency. We’ve got to play like we have to get 5+ yards on 1st down to have a chance.

Even if we have to make believe. Just pretend it’s 4th and 5 on the first play and our season depends on making the 5 yards. Put Ben in high pressure situations from the jump and force him to make the plays he makes in the 4th Q right away.

[NorthCoast]

Roethlisberger had 44 pass attempts in the first game, averaging 3.9 yds/att. OTOH, they averaged 5.2 yds/att rushing. Keep the QB under 30 passes and no INTs and it's winnable. They need to feature the TEs in the passing game. Muth and Gentry are a deadly combo. Harris also caught 5 passes. Hope is elbow is healed. (btw, is McFarland still on the team?).

[flippy]

3 of the last 4 KC games were close and not decided until the 4th Q.

Maybe there’s things we can copy from Cincy, Denver, and the Chargers.

Our game was the outlier where KC easily beat us.

Cincy won. Chargers went to OT and lost. And Denver lost on a D TD by KC near the end of the game.

One thing Cincy didn’t do was turn the ball over and they are the ones who won.

[Eich]

I just want to see us do something different on offense. Play agressive from the start. Throw the kitchen sink at them and see what happens. This is not a team that we can lay down for 3 quarters and hope to squeak one out in the 4th quarter.

For probabaly the last 5 years, everyone has been screaming about playing more no-huddle in games. This would be a good one to just let Ben go nuts with it right from the get-go. No-huddle, reverses, flea flickers, mis-directions, QB sneaks. Whatever is in their bag, now is the time to pull it all out.

I'd also like to see Ben roll out more often to buy himself a little more time. He's so concerned with getting rid of the ball in less than 3 seconds that our wides don't have the chance to get open.

[T.Ferguson]

I think it's essential that the Steelers don't come out like the team has all season. Please be aggressive, please try some different things, seriously what do the Steelers have to lose at this point? It's not like there's a single person on the planet that is going to pick the team to win this game outside Steeler fans. The irony in being conservative in this game is it actually will lower the chances of a Steelers win imo.

If the offense is continually running it on 1st down, throwing bubbles and deep outs the game is probably over. Please use the TE's a lot, use the soft middle and maybe some post stuff. Use Najee downfield like deep flares, he has great hands actually.

[Northern_Blitz]

I would have much rather drawn the Titans where the chances of needing to win a shootout were less.

I don't expect us to win this game. But I REALLY hope that we can keep it respectable and Ben can avoid going out in a dissaster.

If we win this one, I think it will be Najee and the defense that carry the day. But it's going to be hard to keep KC under 20, so the O is going to need to do something if we want to win (or maybe the D or ST score).

Hopefully we can keep it close and not get burned by quick scores from an explosive offense.

[Buzz]

We were the first to do it as a 6 seed. Now let’s be the first to do it as a 7.

Ben’s jersey number is 7. We’re going for our 7th championship. Coincidence? I think not!!!!

Channeling Flippy?

[Buzz]

It will be vital for us to get off to a good start, IMO. Can't fall behind quickly like last time we played them.

I'm going with my dream: 29-year old Ben comes back for one game ... Steelers shock the Chefs, 24-23

["BuzzNuter"]

We are not a good football team. Our defense can be run on at will. Our offense can't score except in the 4th Qtr. I believe we are riding Big Ben into his sunset.

It is a miracle that we are playing next week. The only way we win is by the Grace of God. We have a chance because the Grace of God was there yesterday.