Tag: Steelers

AFC playoff picture: Chargers guaranteed to face 1 of 3 teams in wild-card round

The Chargers have secured their spot in the playoffs. Find out the three teams they could meet in the wild-card round.

The AFC playoff field has three guarantees: The Chiefs will hold the No. 1 seed, the Bills will have the second seed and the Texans will have the fourth seed. The rest of the seeds will be determined this upcoming weekend.

The Chargers are locked in with either the No. 5 or 6 seed. They can’t finish with the seventh seed after the Broncos lost to the Bengals last Saturday, as Los Angeles holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Denver.

One thing is certain: The Bolts will face one of three teams.

Below is the most straightforward path to each potential matchup in the wild-card round.

(4) Texans vs. (5) Chargers

  • Chargers win
  • Steelers loss

(3) Ravens vs. (6) Chargers

  • Steelers win
  • Ravens win
  • Chargers win or loss

(3) Steelers vs. (6) Chargers

  • Steelers win
  • Ravens loss
  • Chargers win or loss

Pittsburgh plays against the Bengals on Saturday night, which means the Chargers will know then if they can jump up to the fifth seed before they kick off against the Raiders.

Chiefs veteran wide receiver continues to play a significant role in the offense

Kansas City #Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson continues to play a significant role in the offense | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs have seen multiple players stand out at wide receiver during different times this season. The additions of DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, and Xavier Worthy have been essential to the team’s success but also has the reliable veteran Justin Watson, who continues to be available for big plays when needed.

Shortly after Watson’s 49-yard catch down the sideline to set up the Chiefs in scoring position, Mahomes found him open again in the back of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown to extend Kansas City’s lead to 13-0 over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day. Watson finished his day with two catches for 60 yards and a touchdown en route to the Chiefs Week 17 victory.

“He (Justin Watson) stacked his corner. I put it out there; let him make a play. I’m happy for him.” said Mahomes during his postgame press conference. “This is home for him. To be able to make a couple (of) plays and get a touchdown, it’s always special to get a touchdown in your homestay.”

The Pennsylvania native has continued to make the most of his opportunities on and off the field throughout his Chiefs tenure, actively mentoring younger receivers.

“We feel like we can continue to get better and better. But obviously, we’re playing, especially offensively, our best football at the end of the year, getting guys healthy,” said Mahomes. “We’re excited. We’re going to keep working. This isn’t the end. This is just the beginning. We’ll continue to work to get even better as we go into the Playoffs.”

Watson joined the Chiefs in 2022 and has known plenty of winning in the NFL since being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018 and securing the first of his three Super Bowl titles.

Which seeds can Chargers secure in AFC playoff field?

The Chargers have clinched a playoff spot, but seeding is still up for grabs in the AFC.

The Chargers punched their ticket to the playoffs after defeating the Patriots on Saturday.

Now, the question remains: Which seed will Los Angeles get?

There are two options:

The Bolts can secure the No. 5 seed with a win over the Raiders next weekend and the Steelers lose to the Bengals.

If Pittsburgh wins, L.A. can’t get the fifth seed because the Steelers own the head-to-head tiebreaker.

If the Chargers were to get the fifth seed, they would play the fourth-seed Texans, who won the AFC South, on the road in the Wild Card Round.

The No. 6 seed is the lowest Los Angeles can get after the Broncos lost to the Bengals on Saturday night. L.A. owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Denver.

The only way the Chargers get the sixth seed is if they lose to the Raiders or the Steelers beat the Bengals.

Should Los Angeles get the sixth seed, they would travel to face the AFC North champion, which is currently the Ravens.

However, if the Steelers win and Baltimore loses, the Chargers would go to Pittsburgh.

Steelers LB T.J. Watt praises Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ Week 17 performance

All-Pro #Steelers LB T.J. Watt praised #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes after Pittsburgh’s Week 17 matchup against Kansas City. | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs won their 15th game of the season last Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, holding off a talented defensive unit led by star pass rusher T.J. Watt. The former Defensive Player of the Year shared his thoughts on playing against Patrick Mahomes during his Week 17 postgame press conference.

“Yeah, it’s no secret that he’s a (great) player. He has great weapons. They have a good scheme,” said Watt. “You can’t afford to spot them points and allow them to scramble around in the pocket and have time, and we didn’t have any success on any of the things I just said.”

Watt and the Pittsburgh defense could not pressure Mahomes enough for a sack, as the Chiefs’ offensive line stood firm throughout the contest. The recent switch of Joe Thuney to left tackle and Mike Caliendo to guard has been a significant factor over the three-game stretch.

Mahomes finished the game completing 29 of 38 passes for 320 yards with three touchdowns and a 127.1 passer rating. The performance against Pittsburgh’s defense marked his 48th regular season 300-yard passing game and his 56th career game with a 100.0+ passer rating.

Will any running back match Alvin Kamara’s historic Christmas Day game?

There are some really good running backs playing on Christmas Day, but can they get close to Alvin Kamara’s historic performance against the Vikings?

Alvin Kamara delivered one of the most memorable performances by a running back on Christmas Day in 2020 versus the Minnesota Vikings. The New Orleans Saints running back rushed for 155 yards and six touchdowns. That’s not only the most rushing touchdowns scored on Christmas, it’s the most rushing touchdowns scored in a single game ever.

Can anyone replicate or come close to that performance this year? The NFL is featuring Kansas City Chiefs versus Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens versus Houston Texans as a part of Christmas programming.

Derrick Henry and Joe Mixon are the standout running backs in this game. As talented as those running backs are, it’s difficult to see either of them racking up six rushing touchdowns in the game.

Reaching six touchdowns is hard against any team, but the double header features strong rush defenses all the way around. The Texans are the worst run defense of the quartet and they’re ranked as the 11th best run defense in the league.

The Ravens allow just 83.1 rushing yards per game, best in the NFL. The Chiefs come in at third, and the Steelers are eighth. While it’s doubtful any running back matches what Kamara did four years ago, you’ll get to watch really good running backs face really good run defenses. That should be fun from a fan’s perspective.

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Inactives for Chiefs vs. Steelers, Week 17

Here are the players who will be inactive during the #Chiefs vs. #Steelers Week 17 game | From @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers released their list of inactive players before their Week 17 matchup.

Here are the inactive players for the Chiefs:

  • OT CJ Hanson
  • OT D.J. Humphries
  • OT Ethan Driskell
  • DB Chamarri Conner
  • DE Malik Herring
  • DT Chris Jones
  • DE Joshua Uche

Here is the inactive list for the Steelers:

  • CB Joey Porter Jr.
  • QB Justin Fields
  • DE Preston Smith
  • DE Dean Lowry
  • WR Ben Skowronek

Chiefs LB Nick Bolton on goals list to be the AFC’s top seed: ‘Check them off’

Kansas City #Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton on goals list to be the AFC’s top seed: ‘Check them off’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs defense has earned a reputation for takeaways with their performances against the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans. Nick Bolton spoke with reporters on Monday about the goals his defensive unit set at the start of the season, which included the top record in the conference.

“I think as the year starts off, come out with five or six goals, man, you kind of just check them off as you go down the year, and for defense, that’s one of them,” said Bolton. “So yeah, we kind of getting down into that list. We are at about a four or five heading to the playoffs. We want to do on defense, and honestly, that’s one of them.”

Bolton has played his best football over the last few weeks, with interceptions, fumble recoveries, and sacks to his credit. He and his teammates watched some of Sunday’s game between the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots, which could’ve determined the Chiefs’ top-seed fate before they hit the field on Christmas Day.

“Yeah, I think back after that game, man, we were all watching, I think, in the first quarter or so, but then we were meeting all afternoon so that I would miss out on the back half of the end, and Buffalo kind of took control,” said Bolton. “So, honestly, I want to go in and know this week as a mindset, regardless of what happened that last game, and go get this win.”

The Bills are mathematically still alive in pursuit of the top seed. Still, a Chiefs victory on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Steelers will officially seal the first-round bye and home-field advantage.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes discusses playing on Christmas Day: ‘It’s an honor’

Kansas City #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes discusses playing on Christmas Day: ‘It’s an honor’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes addressed playing on Christmas Day for the second consecutive year during Monday’s press conference.

“I think with the short week and how this kind of worked out, I didn’t. You don’t even realize how close you are to Christmas other than when you go home and there are presents under the tree,” said Mahomes. “So, we’re all hands on deck, super focused on Pittsburgh, and understanding how great a challenge it will be. Then, get on the flight and fly in there. So I feel like a regular game, and hopefully, you can go out there and get a win. You can come home and have a few extra days to celebrate Christmas with the family if that’s going home or in Kansas City.”

The Chiefs and each team that played on Saturday will star on Netflix’s debut NFL coverage on Christmas Day as part of the ‘NFL Holiday Remix.’ Mahomes described his mindset after learning that he would play again on Christmas Day.

“It was definitely exciting until I realized it was on Wednesday. “said Mahomes. “I think it is really cool playing the first Netflix game on Christmas Day in front of the whole nation. It’s an honor, so we’ll go out there trying to do what we can not to have the same experience we had last Christmas. But as I said, it’s a great football team, and I’ll be a great challenge.”

The Chiefs were beaten last year at home against the Las Vegas Raiders, marking their previous loss of the year on the way to winning Super Bowl LVIII.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid on quick gameplan for Week 17 vs. Steelers: ‘Coaches did a good job’

Kansas City #Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on quick gameplan for Week 17 vs. Pittsburgh #Steelers: ‘Coaches did a good job’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke with reporters on Monday before the Christmas Day showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He revealed the immediate plans to accommodate the rapid turnaround between games.

“Yeah. I mean, that’s part of what you have to do,” said Reid. “The coaches did a good job of spending some time before our game on Saturday looking at them, so we had a little bit of a jump start when we came back here to take a peek at him.”

After Saturday’s victory over the Houston Texans, the Chiefs travel to face the postseason-bound Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day.

“His (Mike Tomlin) teams are tough,” said Reid. “They’re well-coached, and they’re going to play hard every snap. They’re going to give you an honest down every snap, so you’ve got to come in ready to go.”

The Steeler’s defense showcases an intense pass rush led by Pro Bowler T.J. Watt and again puts the spotlight on the Chiefs’ offensive line, according to Reid, in their protection of Patrick Mahomes.

“Yeah, I tell you, similar to the other groups. I mean, they do a nice job of rushing the passer, all of them,” said Reid. “So it’s not just the outside guys; it’s those inside guys, too. The offensive line’s got another big challenge. I thought they fared pretty good last week. Did a nice job for the most part. They have to do it again. But that’s all part of this. They know that they take that responsibility seriously and prepare themselves the right way.”

Reid didn’t commit to a starting offensive line plan for Wednesday but did confirm that D.J. Humphries is still not practicing due to his hamstring injury.

Previewing Chiefs’ Week 17 game vs. Steelers on Chiefs Wire Podcast

On the latest episode of @TheChiefsWire podcast: @EdEastonJr’s chats w/ Chris Maxey, Hunter King and Tyler Hynes #KCvsPIT

We’re back with an all-new episode of the Chiefs Wire podcast! This week, we’re previewing the Kansas City Chiefs Week 17 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Senior Writer Ed Easton Jr. spoke to actors Hunter King and Tyler Hynes, the stars of a new Hallmark movie called ‘Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.’ King and Hynes explained the film’s romantic Christmas story and talked about the inspiration they gained from the franchise and Chiefs Kingdom while developing their on-screen characters.

We check in with this past week’s press conferences, which featured comments from tight end Noah Gray and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins about the unusual schedule of three games in ten days. Lastly, Easton Jr. spoke to Xavier Worthy’s high school coach, Chris Maxey, about his special gift from the Chiefs rookie before last April’s NFL Draft and his humble beginnings.

The latest episode of the Chiefs Wire Podcast will inform listeners about all developments in the team’s mindset ahead of their matchup against the Steelers on a short holiday turnaround in Week 17. We also learn more from King and Hynes filming with multiple current and former Chiefs players, Donna Kelce’s performance, and the movie’s potential superstitious impact on the matchup with the Steelers. At the same time, Maxey discusses the importance of Worthy’s jersey number, his influence on the future, and how his humble personality fits in with the Kansas City community.

Check out the link below to get your fill of Chiefs talk ahead of Wednesday’s Christmas Day kickoff: