Steelers’ Struggles in Week 17: Why They’re Most to Blame for Chiefs Loss

It wasn’t exactly a holly jolly Christmas for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who suffered a humbling 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on a day traditionally better for giving than receiving. Unfortunately for the Steelers (10-6), they gave the Chiefs (15-1) the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. What they received in return was yet another blow to their AFC North title hopes.

Bah, humbug, indeed, say Steelers fans collectively.

Both teams were playing their third game in 11 days, but the outcomes couldn’t have been more different. While the Chiefs went 3-0 during the stretch—business as usual for the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champions—the Steelers stumbled to a 0-3 record. They’ve now lost four of their last six games and have been outscored 90-40 during their three-game skid.

To make matters worse, their conference rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, capitalized on Pittsburgh’s misstep by defeating the Houston Texans in one of the two Christmas Netflix specials. The Ravens have now taken over the AFC North with just one week left in the regular season.

Even against the Chiefs—who currently boast the NFL’s best record—this performance was an ugly blemish for a Steelers team that, just a few weeks ago, appeared poised not only to take the division but to make noise in the playoffs.

“That sucked, to be blunt,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said after the game, per ESPN.

Blunt, yes, but accurate. And now, several Steelers are rightly shouldering the blame for this disappointing stretch.

Should Russell Wilson or George Pickens shoulder the blame for the interception?

Already down 13-0 with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Steelers seemed to be putting together a promising drive. Facing a second-and-14, Russell Wilson lofted a pass intended for Pat Freiermuth in the end zone, only for it to be easily intercepted by Kansas City.

While the blame could easily fall on Wilson for making the throw, others have pointed to George Pickens as the real culprit.

“I’m not sure that was Russell Wilson’s fault,” Former Detroit Lions receiver Nate Burleson said, per Andrew Fillipponi.

Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens also chimed in, saying, “Same on offense as well when you got #14 not running his routes causing INTs.” Owens’ comments echoed those of Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward, who vented after the game: “When 10 guys do their job, and one guy doesn’t, we are screwed.”

It wasn’t a stellar outing for Wilson overall. He completed 23-of-37 passes for just 205 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. However, he did contribute on the ground, rushing for 55 yards and a score. Pickens, meanwhile, caught three passes for 50 yards, but his miscue loomed large in the early deficit.

What has happened to the Steelers defense?

In their last three games, the Steelers have allowed 27, 34, and 29 points. For context, they had only allowed 27 or more points in three other games this season. However, unlike Week 16, where they surrendered 220 rushing yards to the Baltimore Ravens, it was the aerial attack that undid them against the Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes shredded the Steelers’ defense, throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns—marking his second-best performance of the season.

This has been a recurring issue for Pittsburgh, as opposing teams’ offensive schemes seem to overwhelm their defense at critical moments. A few weeks ago, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow torched them for 282 yards and three touchdowns. Even earlier in the season, the Dallas Cowboys piled up 445 yards of total offense in a loss that exposed glaring defensive vulnerabilities.

Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith make bad play-calling decisions

The Steelers’ play-calling in their loss to the Chiefs left much to be desired, with Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith facing scrutiny for several questionable decisions during the game.

One particularly head-scratching moment came in the second quarter on a third-and-3 near midfield. Instead of leaning on primary backs Najee Harris or the hot-handed Jaylen Warren, the Steelers handed the ball off to backup Cordarrelle Patterson, who failed to convert. The Chiefs bailed out Pittsburgh with a penalty on the subsequent punt, giving the Steelers a fresh set of downs, but the choice to put the ball in Patterson’s hands certainly raised eyebrows.

Another controversial moment came late in the game. Trailing by three scores with six minutes left, the Steelers faced a manageable fourth-and-2 deep in their territory but opted to punt. This conservative approach, no doubt, was questionable at best, as many expected a more aggressive response in a game that had already been slipping away.