Losing Ben Roethlisberger to injury was obviously a disappointing blow for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but nobody knew quite what to expect when backup Mike Vick, who was signed late in the offseason, also went down with an injury. The team brought Vick in because Landry Jones, Roethlisberger's original backup, was such an unproven commodity in the NFL.
Steelers vs. Chiefs 2015 live stream: Game time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Landry Jones will likely start for the Steelers when they play the Chiefs on Sunday.
While Roethlisberger is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he is not expected to be ready for the game and Vick has already been ruled out. That means that Jones, the player the Steelers quickly shuffled to third-string when they signed Vick, is expected to start as the Steelers try to keep pace with the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North.
In five games for the Steelers this season, Vick completed 40 of 66 passes for 371 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He only received significant playing time in two of those games. Prior to Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals, Jones had never attempted a regular season pass.
But he came in and actually led the Steelers to victory over the tough Cardinals, completing 8 of 12 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Jones didn’t throw an interception and looked confident running Pittsburgh’s offense. He’s been on the sidelines learning since the team made him a fourth-round pick in 2013, but he is still a huge question mark going into Week 7.
The Steelers are 4-2, two games back of the Bengals in the AFC North. If Jones is to keep the Steelers in it, he’ll need to overcome a Kansas City defense that hasn’t looked great this season. The Chiefs rank No. 25 in the league in both points allowed per game and passing yards allowed per game. One of the few things they do well on defense is stop the run, as they rank 12th in the league in that vein.
It shouldn't be enough to halt Le'Veon Bell, though. The Steelers will likely be running early and often with Bell, regardless of who starts at quarterback. If it's Jones, then the motivation to run the ball is obvious and if it's Roethlisberger, there is no way he'll be 100 percent healthy and they'll want to keep him protected as much as possible.
Pittsburgh's defense may need to step up and force Alex Smith into committing some turnovers. The Chiefs rank No. 20 in the league in total offense, and No. 22 in points scored per game. The Chiefs sit at a -2 turnover differential, with the Steelers tied for the league lead at +6. Pittsburgh has five interceptions and four forced fumbles, while committing just three total interceptions with no fumbles.
We don’t yet know if Jones will be a turnover-prone quarterback, but smart money is on the Steelers running an offense designed to limit the potential for catastrophic mistakes. Kansas City is sitting at 1-5 on the season, which is shocking given how competitive it looked at times since Smith took over as the starting quarterback. The Chiefs need answers, and fast.
With Jeremy Maclin going through the league's concussion protocol and Jamaal Charles out for the season with a torn ACL, though, a sudden shift in the team's fortunes isn't likely.
How to watch
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
Network: CBS
Announcers: Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Stacey Dales
Online: NFL Game Pass
See More:
