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Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs Fall to James Conner, Steelers 17-7 in Preseason Clash
August 18, 2019
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 17-7 at Heinz Field on Saturday in the second preseason game for each club.
Inclement weather caused the contest to be delayed for approximately one hour. When the game did get underway, the offenses had a hard time moving the ball.
While Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sat out this exhibition, reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes started under center for Kansas City. He played two series, which spanned a total of nine offensive snaps.
He went 2-of-5 for 11 yards and added eight yards on the ground.
As the defenses dominated play early on, the game's first points didn't come until more than halfway through the second quarter. Under the command of 2018 third-round pick Mason Rudolph, the Steelers scored with a 14-play, 89-yard drive that Jaylen Samuels' uncontested 14-yard touchdown run capped off:
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported last month that Pittsburgh planned to use Samuels alongside starter James Conner—who had six carries for 28 yards in limited action—at times this season. With 26 yards on four carries, the second-year Samuels showed some of his playmaking abilities.
It would not be long, though, before Chad Henne and the Chiefs offense answered:
Still, the teams combined for four first-half turnovers.
It was more of the same after the break, as neither offense could put points on the board in the third. Steelers backup quarterback Josh Dobbs did, however, provide an offensive highlight late in the third with a dazzling run:
That helped set up a 46-yard field goal that gave Pittsburgh a 10-7 lead.
Dobbs finished 6-of-11 for 95 yards, tossing zero touchdowns and one interception, though he had one score wiped out early in the fourth due to offensive pass interference. Of note, Rudolph went 10-of-15 for 77 yards.
The highlight of the night came in the closing moments as Diontae Johnson made a diving catch in the end zone to haul in a 24-yard pass from rookie Devlin Hodges:
That proved to be enough to put the game away.
What's Next
Kansas City (1-1) will return home to host the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, Aug. 24. Pittsburgh (2-0), meanwhile, will hit the road for the first time this preseason as it heads to Nashville for a clash with the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Aug. 25.