Chiefs at Steelers live stream: How to watch online
By James Dudko
The Pittsburgh Steelers are likely still reeling from the 34-3 beatdown they suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3. Now may not be the best time to welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to Heinz Field.
The Chiefs were also big winners in Week 3, after demolishing the New York Jets with a suffocating defensive display. They’ll arrive in the Steel City full of confidence for Sunday’s late game, and looking to lay down a marker in the AFC playoff race.
It won’t be easy though, even with the Black and Gold nursing wounded pride. The Steelers were well beaten in Philadelphia, but still feature marquee talent on both sides of the ball. Only the foolish would expect another tame showing from head coach Mike Tomlin’s men.
Restoring some pride will demand a tougher performance from a defense pushed around by the Eagles. Granted, the Pittsburgh D’ did see the field a lot thanks to an uncharacteristically stunted display from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his offense.
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Big Ben was rarely afforded time in the pocket, and even when he had time to throw, No. 7 made poor reads. He seemed flummoxed by Philly’s reliance on zone and trap-style coverages. Perhaps Roethlisberger will prefer throwing against the Chiefs.
Kansas City’s secondary boasts more talent than the Eagles, particularly in shutdown cornerback Marcus Peters. However, there’s not a whole lot of disguise about the way the AFC West club goes about blanketing receivers. It usually involves a heavy diet of man coverage and physical, plastering techniques.
Yet, not many cover men can stay stuck to the Steelers’ fleet of wideouts for long. Not when Antonio Brown is the most slippery pass-catcher out of his break in the NFL. Not when Sammie Coates is averaging 29 yards a catch. But one Pittsburgh flanker needs to rebound after a nightmare game in Philadelphia. Markus Wheaton just couldn’t hold onto the ball, dropping more than one deep pass that would have resulted in points.
Roethlisberger and all his receivers will be helped by running back DeAngelo Williams returning to form. The veteran with plenty of tread left on his tyres had been punishing defenses through two games, but it was Williams on the receiving end against the Eagles. He managed just 21 yards on eight carries, for a 2.6-yard average.
If those numbers don’t improve in Week 4, Roethlisberger will be at the mercy of a defense that picked off six passes against the Jets. The Chiefs forced those thefts without premier pass-rusher Justin Houston, but they can still wreck the pocket thanks to Tamba Hali, Dee Ford and Jaye Howard.
Date: Sunday, October 2
Start Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Venue: Heinz Field
TV Info: NBC Sports
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live
Broadcasters: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
Kansas City has the defensive chops to win on the road, while their offense is well-schemed enough to catch the Steelers off guard. Yet, it’s difficult to believe Pittsburgh can be this bad two weeks in a row. Playing in front of their home faithful should be enough to get one of the AFC’s strongest teams back on track.