Flawed Steelers Prove They Still Have Legitimate Super Bowl Aspirations

Nothing about the Pittsburgh Steelers' win should have been close Sunday night. And it wasn't close, with the Steelers throttling the Kansas City Chiefs in every area except the one that really matters: the scoreboard, which somehow ended up reading 18-16.

It wasn't a game that should have been within reach for the Chiefs. It wasn't a game that should have come down to a final possession. And it certainly wasn't a game suited for overtime, a threat that lingered when the Chiefs scored a late fourth-quarter touchdown, then for a moment seemed to have the two-point conversion they needed before left tackle Eric Fisher was called for holding.

It was a game where tension should have been eased much earlier by the Steelers, whose knuckles turned various shades of white. But instead, stalled drives and missed opportunities piled up.

No, there aren't any style points in the NFL playoffs. There are only winners, and eventually a champion surrounded by 31 losers. As the Steelers exhale, though, there are concerns even a divisional-round win can't quite silence.

Namely, concerns about an inability to finish drives against a top-tier defense. That effort isn't about to get any easier during the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots.

Category	Steelers	Chiefs
Offensive yards	389	227
Yards/play	5.9	4.6
Rushing yards	171	61
Total plays run	66	49
Time of possession	34:13	25:47
Points	18	16

The Steelers orchestrated seven drives that advanced beyond the Chiefs' 30-yard line. Of those, four went into the red zone, and they sauntered to inside the 5-yard line twice. Yet still, the Steelers needed to hold their collective breath as a late two-point conversion attempt to tie the game fell incomplete.

They became only the fourth road team in NFL playoff history to win without scoring a touchdown, according to Pro Football Reference. What's even more bizarre, considering their scoring chances, is that the Steelers went touchdown-less while receiving major contributions from the expected sources. And they were given plenty from unexpected sources too.

Running back Le'Veon Bell continues to take the hourglass approach to his craft. He displays more patience with chaos ready to engulf him than most of us do in the express lane at the grocery store. Bell bounces, observes and then finally makes a decisive cut.

That process repeated Sunday night until Bell accumulated 170 rushing yards, averaging nearly six yards per carry. He broke his own single-game franchise playoff rushing record. You know, the one he set seven days ago.

Both Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown recorded 101 rushing/receiving yards apiece by halftime. As ESPN Stats & Information noted, that put Brown in historic company:

Toss in the 83 receiving yards from tight end Jesse James—who averaged only 21.1 yards per game throughout the regular season—and getting in position to score always seemed like a mere matter of marching.

The last mile turned out to be excruciating, though. The burn and hurt came complete with an end-zone interception from Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, which took another three and possibly seven points off the board.

That cushion would have made normal breathing possible in a game otherwise dominated by the Steelers. That domination included their defense, a unit that held Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith to an average of only 5.1 yards per pass attempt.

Thankfully, kicker Chris Boswell was up to the task of making his own history. The famed Steelers Killer Bs recruited a fourth member.

It was an uncharacteristic game for an offense that converted 59.6 percent of its red-zone trips into touchdowns during the 2016 regular season.

And sure, the Steelers' inability to produce touchdowns came against a defense well known for bending, then bending some more and maybe never breaking. Which is exactly why the lack of offensive production will be a cloud hovering all week as we look forward to the AFC Championship Game in frosty Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The Chiefs defense ranked 24th in regular-season yards allowed and still gave up only 19.4 points per game (seventh) along with just 34 touchdowns overall (seventh). The Patriots defense, meanwhile, allowed a league low 15.6 points per game and the second-fewest touchdowns (27). Missed opportunities at Gillette Stadium often end in losses and a long winter. Just ask the Houston Texans.

The Steelers have a formidable offense that can prevail even in the most hostile territory. They have depth on that side of the ball, too, and a swarming defense powered by ageless wonder James Harrison at linebacker and a rising Ryan Shazier beside him. Everything has worked in unison so far, with 48 points scored through two playoff games and just 28 allowed.

The next step against the Patriots—and perhaps the Super Bowl step—will be making sure a few more drives go the distance instead of sputtering.

Because if the latter happens again, more than just a drive could stall. The Steelers' season might also be on the brink.