The Kansas City Chiefs are on the brink of clinching their sixth straight division title following their six-point win over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16 coupled with a Chargers loss to the Texans will help seal the AFC West crown for Kansas City. Here's a breakdown of the Steelers vs Chiefs matchup.
Pittsburgh Steelers installed as +10 underdogs
Pittsburgh's playoff hopes remained very much alive after the Steelers recorded a 19-13 win over the Tennessee Titans in their AFC showdown in Week 15. The Steelers are currently in ninth place in the AFC standings with a 7-6-1 record, not far back from the five teams sharing 8-6 slates.
Two of those teams are the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens, meaning that the AFC North title is still in play for the Steelers with three games remaining in their schedule. For the Steelers to grab the all-important road win against the Chiefs, they will need to get more production from Ben Roethlisberger and Najee Harris.
Roethlisberger completed just 16 of 25 passes for 148 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions in the win against the Titans. He did score a rushing touchdown in the second half that opened the floodgates for Pittsburgh. Harris, on the other hand, struggled to get his ground game going against the Titans, running for just 18 yards on 12 carries.
The Steelers managed just 168 yards of total offense against the Titans. They still pulled off the win, though, thanks to the brilliance of their defense. The Steelers held Tennessee scoreless in the second half, limiting them to just 13 points the entire game.
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Kansas City Chiefs enter Week 16 as -10 favorites
Kansas City extended its winning streak to seven games with a thrilling 34-28 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15. It was an important win for the Chiefs, who moved to the top of the AFC standings with their 10-4 record. They grabbed sole possession of first place after New England and Tennessee lost their respective games over the weekend.
Patrick Mahomes starred on Thursday Night Football, completing 31 of 47 passes for 410 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He was clutch down the stretch, going 10 of 16 for 197 yards and three touchdowns after throwing an interception in the fourth quarter.
Travis Kelce benefited from Mahomes' outstanding play, catching 10 passes for a career-high 191 receiving yards and a couple of touchdowns. The bulk of those came in the fourth quarter and overtime when Kelce nabbed five receptions for 142 yards. Kelce's first touchdown tied the score at 28 to force overtime. The second touchdown iced the game, with Kelce's 34-yard score sealing the win for Kansas City in the extra session.
There is bad news, though, for the Chiefs with Kelce placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Kelce is vaccinated, though, so he still has a chance of starting for the Chiefs in their crunch game against the Steelers.
Writer's Prediction
Kansas City wins and covers the spread.
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