Biggest Takeaways from Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 7 Loss

The Pittsburgh Steelers kept things close for a while, but they didn't manage to escape Kansas City with a win over the Chiefs in Week 7. Instead, they lost, 23-13, bringing their record to 4-3 on the year.

With Landry Jones in at quarterback in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Vick and Pittsburgh's defense facing a depleted Chiefs offense that is without running back Jamaal Charles for the rest of the year, there were a number of storylines to watch in the contest.

Here are the five biggest Steelers takeaways following their loss to the Chiefs.

Landry Jones Comes Back Down to Earth

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The Landry Jones so commonly seen during training camps and preseason games returned to the field against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. In Week 6, in spot duty against the Arizona Cardinals, Jones provided a spark, completing eight of his 12 passes for 168 yards, two touchdowns, zero turnovers and zero sacks, leading the Steelers to a 25-13 win.

But against a Chiefs defense that was ready for him, Jones did not have a great day. He completed only 16 of his 29 pass attempts for 209 yards. He threw one touchdown to two interceptions, fumbled the ball away once and took two sacks. 

It was the kind of performance one would expect from a third-string quarterback, and unfortunately, one that directly led to a Steelers' loss. The good news, though, is that Ben Roethlisberger is expected to play against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8, making Jones' tenure as Pittsburgh's starter a very brief one.

No Worries About Le'Veon Bell

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One thing that hasn't suffered from the quarterback injuries in Pittsburgh this year is the Steelers' run game, which has been led by Le'Veon Bell since Week 3, when he returned from his two-week suspension. Bell's lowest one-game rushing total this year has been 62 yards, in his regular-season debut, but he's routinely racked up triple-digit yardage since then.

Sunday against the Chiefs, Bell's 17 rushes netted the team 121 total yards, including a long run for 42 yards. Though he didn't record a touchdown, Bell's carries kept Pittsburgh's drives alive. There's a reason that Bell has the second-most first-downs on the team this year, with 25. 

Bell's presence keeps opposing defenses honest, something that has been even more important with Landry Jones and Mike Vick stepping in for the injured Ben Roethlisberger. His runs can set up play-action passes and force defenses to account for where he is on the field and what he may be doing.

Roethlisberger's injury would be a far more devastating one for the Steelers offense if they didn't have a back as talented as Bell to keep the team multidimensional.

Bend-but-Don't-Break Defense Almost Works

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have routinely employed a bend-but-don't-break approach to their defense this season, ceding yards but aiming to prevent touchdowns. And it nearly worked again on Sunday against the Chiefs.

At halftime, the Chiefs had outgained the Steelers, 203 yards to 144, while converting four of their eight third downs. Still, they failed to reach the end zone in all three of their trips to the red zone, instead settling for three field goals for a 9-3 lead. This was a manageable deficit for the Steelers heading into the second half.

Ultimately, though, the Chiefs chipped away at the Steelers defense, scoring two crucial second-half touchdowns that led to a victory.

The first was a third-quarter Charcandrick West rushing touchdown which was set up by a tipped Landry Jones pass that landed in Chiefs safety Eric Berry's hands. The second was a Chris Conley touchdown catch on a drive that featured numerous Steelers missing tackles on catches by tight end Travis Kelce and runs by West.

Until that final Chiefs score, the Steelers were within three points of a tie game and a touchdown away from winning. But the touchdown gave the Chiefs a 10-point lead, one the Steelers could not overcome with just five minutes left in the game.

The Steelers tried to limit the damage the Chiefs could do on offense, but to no avail. Sometimes bending leads to breaking, despite a defense's best intentions. 

Welcome Back, Antonio Brown

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Finally, Steelers receiver Antonio Brown got out of the rut he had been in over the last three weeks with Mike Vick at quarterback. 

In Weeks 4, 5 and 6, Brown totaled just 42, 45 and 24 receiving yards, respectively, and no touchdowns—a far cry from his league-leading receiving performance in 2014. And while he didn't have a touchdown against the Chiefs on Sunday, he at least proved to be a favored and reliable target for quarterback Landry Jones, much as he's been in the past for Ben Roethlisberger.

Brown ended his day with six catches on eight targets for 124 yards—a stat line more typical for a receiver of his talent and history. And with Roethlisberger slated to make his return to the field in Week 8, Brown should find himself pleased with his on-field production once again.

Brown's contribution on Sunday gives him something positive to build on, even though he scored no points for his team in the loss. 

A Pass Rush Without Stephon Tuitt

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Heading into Week 7, the Steelers' sack leader was defensive end Stephon Tuitt, with 3.5. But Tuitt did not play against the Chiefs on Sunday, as he was sidelined with a knee injury. Still, the Steelers managed to bring the pass rush against Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith, sacking him twice and hitting him once (or, according to Pro Football Focus, hitting him four times, with an additional 13 hurries).

Cameron Heyward had one sack, while linebackers Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier combined for another. It brought the team's total to 19 on the year. Linebacker Arthur Moats, meanwhile, led the team with six hurries on the day.

Pittsburgh's pass rush has been steadily improving this year. And while it didn't lead to any Chiefs turnovers, it made Smith aware that Pittsburgh's defense is still something to fear, even without Tuitt. Most importantly, it's another sign of progress for a Steelers defense that had just 33 total sacks in 2014.