The Kansas City Chiefs are not looking to avenge a regular season loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rather, they’re looking to simply win a playoff game, and the Steelers are the team that is in front of them. The fact that the Steelers blew them out in the early days of October isn’t really a factor.
Steelers vs. Chiefs 2017: Time, TV schedule for NFL playoffs
The Steelers are looking for a repeat of their big Week 4 win over the Chiefs.
As the higher seed, the Chiefs will host the Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium. The game was originally scheduled for the early afternoon, but kickoff is now set for 8:20 p.m. ET due to an ice storm. The game will still be broadcast by NBC and will be streamed online via NBC Sports.
The Chiefs are only looking at that 43-14 regular season loss to the Steelers so they don’t repeat the same mistakes. They know what they did wrong, and they can’t go back and change that game. All that matters right now is reaching the AFC Championship and then the Super Bowl.
Kansas City, at 12-4, is well-rested going into Sunday’s game. The Chiefs were recovering while the Steelers were taking on the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Kansas City is the second seed in the AFC behind only the New England Patriots.
While revenge shouldn’t be a factor, with plenty of motivation to go around, the regular season matchup still should be considered. The blowout loss dropped the Chiefs to 2-2 on the season, and there were many questions about their future at that point.
That game saw Alex Smith attempt 50 passes, completing 30 for 287 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Running back Spencer Ware added 82 rushing yards on 13 carries. They were decent numbers, but nothing compared to what the Steelers’ playmakers did. Ben Roethlisberger completed 22 of 27 passes for 300 yards with a whopping five touchdowns and no interceptions. Running back Le’Veon Bell had 18 carries for 144 yards on the ground.
Roethlisberger has struggled with interceptions in recent games, though. The Steelers, thus far, have been able to overcome them thanks to strong play from Bell and the rest of the team. No team forced more turnovers than the Chiefs this season, and they also take care of the ball. If they win the turnover margin battle on Sunday, they will likely be in a good position to win the game.
But if they are hoping that Bell is slowing down after a long season, they’re in for a rude awakening. Bell ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns against the Dolphins last week, a record-setting rushing performance for Steelers postseason history. There is also, of course, Antonio Brown to consider. Brown caught 106 passes for 1,284 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. The Chiefs have three massive playmakers to try to halt in Sunday’s game, something they were entirely unable to do the first time around.
Below is all you need to watch Sunday’s Divisional playoff game.
How to watch Steelers vs. Chiefs on Sunday
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
TV: NBC
Announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya, Heather Cox
Online: NBC Sports
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