The Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers are playing a playoff game of sorts in Week 16 at Heinz Field. Kansas City is 8-6 and Pittsburgh in 9-5, and both teams are in control of their postseason hopes. A win for the Steelers means a playoff berth is locked up, while the Chiefs must defeat both Pittsburgh and the San Diego Chargers in Week 17 to make the playoffs.
NFL picks and predictions, Chiefs vs. Steelers 2014: Pittsburgh expected to win at home
In a high-stakes AFC matchup, the Steelers are a popular pick to eliminate the Chiefs from playoff contention.
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Kansas City snapped a three-game losing streak last week, pummeling the Oakland Raiders 31-13. Alex Smith turned in his best performance of the season with 298 passing yards and two touchdowns. The Steelers' primary worry will be stopping running back Jamaal Charles and blocking outside linebacker Justin Houston. Charles leads the NFL with 14 touchdowns and has rushed for 5.2 yards per carry, the second-highest mark among running backs this season. Houston is tied for the league-lead in sacks with 17, and combines with Tamba Hali and Dontari Poe to form a fierce pass rush.
The Steelers have plenty to make the Chiefs nervous as well. Pittsburgh features a modern-day version of the Triplets, with Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell. Roethlisberger is enjoying a career year, and ranks second in the NFL with 4,415 passing yards. Brown is the NFL's leader in receiving with 1,498 yards and Bell has more yards from scrimmage than anybody this season (2,043).
Over at ESPN, all 13 analysts are putting their faith in Pittsburgh to clinch a playoff spot in the wild AFC. The same can be said for the folks with USA Today, who provide us with another clean sweep. At CBS Sports, two of the eight experts believe the Chiefs will emerge victorious on the road.
Here at SB Nation, Matt Ufford and PFT Commenter are riding with Andy Reid and Kansas City while the rest have the Steelers punching their postseason ticket.
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