Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Breaking Down the Chiefs' Game Plan

It is only Week 16, but Kansas City’s road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers has big playoff implications and essentially feels like a playoff game.

The Steelers currently have the No. 5 seed in the AFC, but the Chiefs are vying for a wild-card spot and are currently one game behind Sunday's opponent.

The Chiefs overcame a three-game losing streak when they blew out the Oakland Raiders in Week 15. Now, they have a big test on the road against a team looking to keep its playoff spot.

NFL teams are never flawless, especially when the intensity picks up this time of the year. However, if the Chiefs want to win and stay in the hunt, they need to play a near-perfect game on Sunday.

Get off to a Fast Start

The Chiefs have scored a touchdown on their opening drive just once in the last four games, which came against the Arizona Cardinals. In fact, that touchdown against Arizona is the team’s only first-quarter offensive touchdown in the last four weeks.

A hot start for the Chiefs will set the tone for the game and give Kansas City plenty of momentum, which is important when teams are fighting for a playoff spot this time of the year.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid has had trouble in doing so, but in order for the team to get off to a good start and play well all the way through, Reid must feed the football to his playmakers.

Keep Key Players Active on Offense

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles has been the most consistent offensive player throughout the season. Backups Knile Davis and rookie De’Anthony Thomas had a hand in lifting the Chiefs to the win against Oakland. Tight end Travis Kelce has also shone throughout the season as the team’s primary pass-catcher.

While there are some options for quarterback Alex Smith, Charles is the only viable weapon on the team. The Chiefs can still get Davis, Thomas, Kelce and the wide receivers involved, but against a Pittsburgh defense that ranks 19th, getting Charles some touches should be Kansas City’s biggest priority on offense.

Charles is capable of doing a lot of damage to the Steelers, a team that has allowed more than 24 points per game on average. Charles ties first with Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch for most touchdowns with 14.

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The Steelers are limited in talent on defense. With Charles’ breakaway speed, along with the speed the team has in Davis, Thomas and Kelce, the Steelers could be in trouble, and Kansas City’s three-dimensional offense from Week 15 could carry over to Sunday.

Pressure Big Ben

The Chiefs have been dominant in many facets defensively throughout the season. The defense ranks second against the pass and has allowed the fourth-fewest points in 2014.

A big part of Kansas City’s success is due to the front seven, primarily led by outside linebackers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali.

Kansas City’s defense, which allowed just three third-down conversions last week, has surrendered a first down on third down just 36.9 percent of the time.

If the Chiefs front seven can apply pressure and give Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger little time to make plays, the defense will be successful on third down for the second straight week.

Pittsburgh has one of the most prolific wide receivers in Antonio Brown. If the Chiefs want to make Brown a non-factor, the team must get through offensive linemen and either sack Roethlisberger or force a defensive hurry.

Stop Le’Veon Bell

During the team’s recent three-game losing skid, unknown running backs Latavius Murray, C.J. Anderson and Kerwynn Williams each recorded 100-yard rushing games against the Chiefs.

This time, Kansas City knows the Steelers won’t hesitate and will strike with running back Le’Veon Bell, who leads the AFC in rushing with 1,278 yards.

The Chiefs allow 4.9 yards per carry on average, which ties for the worst in the league. Kansas City’s defense has been bad defending the run. However, it is Kansas City’s offense that needs to stop Bell.

Though the Chiefs have been bad against the run all season, plenty of teams have abandoned the running game against the Chiefs because they find themselves trailing. When teams fall behind in football, they ignore the running backs and go pass heavy.

Going back to the first point listed in this article, if the Chiefs score first and maintain a solid lead, the Steelers will have to forget about Bell. The offense would get credit for making Bell non-existent if it can form and keep a lead.

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