(Getty)
Final Score
Chiefs 3-3-0-6 — 12
Steelers 3-7-7-3 — 20
The Pittsburgh Steelers clinched their third playoff berth in five years with a 20-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are still in the hunt for a playoff spot, but their hill got a little bit harder to climb.
Ben Roethlisberger went 18/25 for 220 yards and a touchdown. Antonio Brown had the touchdown pass as well as 72 yards on seven receptions. Le’Veon Bell ran for 63 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Heath Miller had 68 yards on seven catches.
Alex Smith finished 31/45 for 311 yards. Jamall Charles had 29 yards on nine carries and Albert Wilson had 87 yards on five receptions. Cairo Santos went 4-4 on field goals, scoring the team’s only points.
Both teams had only four penalties, with Pittsburgh losing 40 yards and Kansas City losing 39.
Read on for highlights and go here for a full box score.
Pittsburgh Scored on the Opening Drive
The Steelers’ opening drive ended with a 23-yard field goal from Shaun Suisham.
23 yard Field Goal is GOOD.
3-0 #Steelers
Kansas City Tied it on Their First Drive
The Chiefs settled for a 35-yard field goal from Cairo Santos to tie the game late in the first quarter.
Field goal is up and GOOD by @cairosantos19!!!!
The Chiefs Went up on Their Second Field Goal
Santos made his second field goal, this time from 25-yards out, to give Kansas City their first lead of the game. The drive was kept alive with a fourth-down conversion from a fake punt.
A Chiefs WR ALMOST caught a touchdown pass.
It’s been over a year since that has happened.
The Steelers Regained the Lead on the Game’s First Touchdown
Le’Veon Bell scored from 1 yard out to put the Steelers up late in the second quarter.
Le’Veon Bell scores to give Steelers a 10-6 lead over Chiefs, his 11th total TD of the season.
Bell: 8 Rush, 21 Yds, TD
Kansas City Turned it Over on Downs Late in the Second Quarter
The Chiefs went for it on fourth and inches after they thought they picked up the first down. Charles was stopped behind the line of scrimmage and the Steelers head to the locker room up by 4 after taking a knee.
The Teams Were Well Matched Despite First Half Score
Both of these teams looked to be well matched in the first half.
Alex Smith went 15/20 for 177 yards, with five of those passes going to Albert Wilson for 87 yards.
Ben Roethlisberger was 10/15 with 131 yards. Le’Veon Bell had a touchdown and 21 yards on eight carries.
End of the 1st half. #KCvsPIT
The Steelers Recovered Chiefs Fumble
Jamall Charles fumbled the ball just outside of the red zone. It was recovered by Vince Williams
Roethlisberger Had His First Passing Touchdown of the Game
The Steelers built on their lead with a 3-yard-touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown.
The Chiefs Chipped Away at Steelers’ Lead
Kansas City added a 43-yard field goal, making it a one possession game as they hope to keep their playoff hopes alive.
43-yd field goal is up and GOOD by @cairosantos19!!!
The Steelers Scored Another Field Goal
Pittsburgh makes it a two-possession game again with a 23-yard field goal. The teams had a brief scrum after the successful kick.
The Chiefs Matched it With Another Field Goal
Santos made a 23-yard field goal, making it a one possession game late in the fourth.
The 23-yd field goal is GOOD by @cairosantos19!!!!! 1:37 remains in the game.
Pittsburgh Won After Recovering the Onside Kick
The Steelers clinched a playoff spot by recovering the onside kick with under two minutes to go in the game. The victory formation ends it.
With 2 weeks left the in the NFL’s regular season, the North Division title and both wild card spots are up for grabs in the AFC.
Just so happens the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers have a heavy interest in this situation.
Despite a recent a 3-game skid, the Chiefs (8-6) are still in contention for a wild card spot. A win Sunday in Pittsburgh and they’ll be in good shape. A loss and that window is thisclose to being shut.
Pittsburgh (9-5) currently holds one of the wild card spots. But the Steelers are still in play to win the AFC North, where they are tied with the Ravens for 2nd, a half-game behind the Bengals.
The playoff picture is still a bit muddled, but will become much clearer after Week 16.
