Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is leading a very different looking Steelers team this season. Pittsburgh, regarded as a lock to make the playoffs virtually every season, came under early criticism after getting off to a slow start. Early defeats against the arch rival Baltimore Ravens (7-3), as well as the Houston Texans (7-3) had many NFL experts wondering if the team was past its prime.
However, Pittsburgh has turned its season around and is in contention for the AFC North title bolstering an impressive 7-3 record. Roethlisberger is having a spectacular season, throwing for 16 touchdowns and 2,877 yards, and looks to have his team on the right track.
“Big Ben” has been a vocal leader throughout his career and certainly did not shy away from addressing his team’s slow start. “You lose a game and everyone wants to jump on the hater bandwagon of the Steelers even more than they already are. We just kind of laughed it off and said ‘You know what, we’ll just do what we do’ and I think we’ve done that,” Roethlisberger said in a recent appearance on “NFL Total Access.”
The Steelers certainly won’t be laughing when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs (4-6) this Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium. After what many Chiefs fans regarded as the worst start in franchise history (they were outscored 89-10 through their first two games) many followers were calling for Head Coach Todd Haley’s job, the Chiefs have seemed to salvage their lost season by winning four straight. Unfortunately, they have lost their past three games (including a 34-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football), as well as their starting quarterback Matt Cassel, who has been placed on IR.
The Chiefs made a bold move this week, picking up former Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton off waivers to give them a strong option to replace Cassel at quarterback for the remainder of the season, but Orton is not expected to be ready for this week’s game against the Steelers.
Despite Kansas City’s struggles they currently rank ninth in the league in rushing, which is quite an accomplishment considering they also lost star running back Jamaal Charles to IR. The Chiefs have since implemented a running back by committee strategy in which Jackie Battle, Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster share the workload. Although none of the three is likely to break the 1,000 yard mark this season, Battle and McCluster are averaging an impressive 4.6 yards per carry, while Jones is a veteran back who provides stability and leadership for the trio.
With backup quarterback Tyler Palko thrust in the starting role for the remainder of the season, Coach Haley has been looking for an x-factor on offense, and he may have found one in receiver Dwayne Bowe. Haley loves Bowe’s ability to run after the catch, which has resulted in recent comparisons to a potential hall of fame receiver, Terrell Owens. “I think that anytime you get a big, strong receiver it’s easy to compare but I think Dwayne’s his own entity and he’s working to try to be one of the best,” said Haley.
When asked what makes Bowe so good after the catch, Haley said, “He’s improved this year as its gone on, last year it was something we really emphasized and he worked hard on and he’s terrific, run after the catch numbers were a big part of us being able to be one of the more efficient offenses.”
Bowe will certainly need those yards after the catch if the Chiefs offense hopes score against the unforgiving Steelers defense. Known for being one of the hardest hitting groups in the history of the NFL, the Steelers are only second in the league in yards allowed per game with 280.1. With one the best line backing cores and phenomenal safety play by Troy Polamalu, the Steelers will attempt to make life a living hell for the Chiefs Palko.
It is certainly hard to find a way the Chiefs will come away with a victory Sunday night. Don’t be surprised to see them pull out the bag of tricks, much like they did Monday night in Foxboro. Running against Pittsburgh is never a smart idea, but look for Kansas City to establish something on the ground to take pressure off Palko.
On the other hand, expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to just do what they do. Big Ben will extend plays with his mobility in the pocket, getting the ball to wideouts Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown. Running back Rashard Mendenhall, whose season has recently turned around, will be a nice change of pace for the offense looking to keep the Chiefs honest. And of course, you can expect the playmakers on the Steelers defense to torment Palko.
As this season winds down, we can again bet on seeing the Steelers in the playoffs; however, with the Ravens winning both meetings earlier this year, the road to the Super Bowl might be a little more challenging than initially expected.
