The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for another matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The AFC’s wild-card round will feature a rematch of the Week 16 game that also took place at Arrowhead Stadium. Patrick Mahomes and company know they will be getting a motivated Pittsburgh team seeking revenge after the 36-10 blowout loss during the NFL’s regular season.
The Chiefs’ Pro Bowl quarterback was very effective in the win as Kansas City’s offensive line kept Steelers star pass rusher, T.J. Watt, in check. Watt has dominated opposing NFL quarterbacks throughout the 2021 season, tying the NFL’s single-season sack record of 22.5 with Hall of Fame defensive lineman Michael Strahan. Watt wasn’t much of an issue a few weeks ago, but Mahomes is very aware of the havoc he can cause.
“He’s a special player,” Mahomes told reporters on Wednesday, “I mean, I don’t know what runs in that family, but they have great football players over there, and you said it; T.J. is not only special, but as far as the way he can bend to get to the quarterback, but the effort he plays with.”
In general, the strength of the Pittsburgh defense seems to be their defensive front. As dominant as Watt has been, Mahomes won’t just be on the lookout for him in the wild-card round. He’ll be looking to limit the effectiveness of the entire front-seven for the Steelers.
“They have a lot of guys like that over there, Cam Heyward, (Alex) Highsmith,” Mahomes said. “I mean, they have a lot of guys that play hard the entire game, and they continuously play and go and go. So, for me, it’s about whenever I do make those extended long plays, not making a bad play happen. Those guys will kind of be around me the whole time following the play, so when I scramble and step up in the pocket when the stuffs not there, I have to make sure I account for them because they’re not going to give up on the play.”
Mahomes finished the Week 16 matchup against Pittsburgh with 23-of-30 for 258 yards and three passing touchdowns. He will hope to replicate that performance on Sunday to ensure the Chiefs take another step towards their goal to return to a third consecutive Super Bowl.
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