On to the Chiefs... Keys to the Game NFL Week 7 Steelers @ Chiefs

So on to the Chiefs this weekend! A game I am hoping to attend in person! Had a few people tell me they think this game is a gimme. No way. No how. This has all the markings of a trap game. The Chiefs almost always play the Steelers tough. The games generally turn into a defensive slug fest, and whoever is on the + side of the turnover margin wins. The Chiefs still have Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, and Derrick Johnson on the defensive side of the ball. That's a lot of raw talent, power, football smarts, and pride that isn't going to just let us walk all over them in Arrowhead Stadium. While I would love to see us blow them out, I fully expect a slugfest with the Chiefs dinking and dunking against our aggressive defense and hard hits being dished out all over the field.

Here are my keys to the game for a Steelers victory:

1. Pressure Alex Smith. Smith is without All-Star RB Jamaal Charles. That means they're going to have to rely more heavily on their passing attack to generate offense. Our pass rushers need to be up to the task, they're going to have to be quick off of the ball, and dominate their blockers because Smith is going to try and get the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible. This offense is going to be like a poor man's version of the Patriots***. There's no reason we shouldn't be able to stop them. Maclin is concussed, and they have no real dynamic playmakers that put fear into the hearts of a defense.

2. Shut down the running game. Charcandrick West and Knile Davis are nowhere near as good as Jamaal Charles. These might be some of the worst running backs we've come up against this season. We absolutely need to shut these guys down, dominate at the point-of-attack, and practically dare Alex Smith to throw the ball.

3. Bombs away! We need to test the Chiefs secondary deep, early and often. Their secondary is about as stout as a wet paper sack. Generally we use Bell and  the running game most of the time to open up the passing game. In this game I think we need to throw the Chiefs off balance, try to hit them deep early so they have to back off out of the box, and then pound them with Le'Veon Bell when there's less defensive players in the box. If we can do that, it will keep the Chiefs defense guessing, and mitigate the effectiveness of pass rushers like Justin Houston, and Tamba Hali.

4. Protect the QB. The Chiefs strength is their defense. Justin Houston, and Tamba Hali are elite level pass rushers and historically they've played well against the Steelers. Our banged up O-Line needs to man up this weekend and provide whichever QB is under center with ample protection.

Those are my keys to the game. Love to hear what you guys all think!

Bombs away? With 2 O line starters out? With Landry? Yes, he had a good 1 1/2 quarters last Sunday, but we was #3 on the depth chart for a reason. When Gradkowski went down, they didn't see enough in Landry to be a #2, so they picked Vick off the streets. There was a reason for this. Landry done a good job last week. OK, coming off the bench as he did, I'll gladly say that he done a great job. I'm just not sold on him yet. I don't see us going bombs away.

LambertLunatic wrote:

Bombs away?  With 2 O line starters out?  With Landry?  Yes, he had a good 1 1/2 quarters last Sunday, but we was #3 on the depth chart for a reason.  When Gradkowski went down, they didn't see enough in Landry to be a #2, so they picked Vick off the streets.  There was a reason for this.  Landry done a good job last week.  OK, coming off the bench as he did, I'll gladly say that he done a great job.  I'm just not sold on him yet.  I don't see us going bombs away.

Why not? Landry seemed to have a much better grasp of this offense than Vick, and the Chiefs are going to stack the box to stop Bell. Our run blocking last week was what was suspect. Our pass blocking was decent, by comparison. I guarantee we're going to see stacked boxes right off the bat. They're going to go after Bell and dare us to throw the ball. IF it's Jones under center he needs to be able to get the ball down the field whether it's bombs away with the deep ball, or the short to intermediate stuff. That'll back the Chiefs defense up off the ball, and hopefully open up some running lanes. The Chiefs' secondary has also been horrible this season, we have to exploit that. It's basic strategy. Direct your strengths against your opponents weaknesses.

The Cards did this exact same thing against us.

I'm a little worried about this game, it's a classic trap game. A so-called 'easy' game in between a tough opponent and a top division opponent. Team just needs to stay focused and they got this. If not, well, look at the bucs game last year.

TURNOVERS Baby!!! Generate them and don't give them up. We are tied for the league lead in +/-.

Steelers-Chiefs Preview

By KEVIN MASSOTH (STATS Writer)
AP - Sports

A Pittsburgh passing offense that went from boom to bust may be back on track this weekend - and the Steelers may not even have their top quarterback on the field yet.

With Ben Roethlisberger still on the mend, the Steelers are preparing for Sunday's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs with third-stringer Landry Jones under center.

Jones relieved injured backup Mike Vick last week and led the Steelers (4-2) to a 25-13 win over Arizona, igniting what had been a stagnant offense since Roethlisberger sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Sept. 27.

Through the first two weeks, Pittsburgh ranked first in total yards per game (458.5), second in passing yards (349.5) and third in points (32.0). Since Week 3, however - when Vick stepped in for Roethlisberger - the Steelers rank toward the bottom of the NFL in total yards (295.3) and passing yards (164.0) and have averaged 20.3 points.

With Jones in as Vick nursed a strained right hamstring, and with the return of Martavis Bryant, the Steelers showed glimpses of where they started the season. Coach Mike Tomlin said his team will continue on that track against the Chiefs, who rank 22nd in the league with 372.8 total yards allowed per game.

"I think it's prudent and appropriate right now to operate under the assumption that Landry is our quarterback this week," Tomlin said. "He is the guy that's healthy."

Jones completed 8 of 12 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinals, leading the Steelers back from a 10-6 hole in the third quarter. His favorite target was another player who hadn't taken a snap in Pittsburgh's first five games.

Bryant was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy and also sat out a 24-20 victory over San Diego on Oct. 12 with a knee injury.

The second-year wideout started slow with Vick under center against Arizona but broke out with Jones. Bryant caught two passes for eight yards through seven series with Vick but caught four for 129 yards and two TDs through four with Jones. The big connection between the two was an 88-yard fourth-quarter touchdown that sealed the win.

Antonio Brown was second to only Atlanta's Julio Jones with 436 receiving yards through the season's first three weeks, but he has just 11 receptions for 111 yards without a touchdown in the last three.

Brown voiced his displeasure with his lack of targets since Roethlisberger's injury, dropping from 35 in the first three games to 23 since. A switch to Jones, though, could do him some good as the Steelers may move to a more downfield attack.

"It's not what you know, it's about what you're capable of executing," Tomlin said. "Knowledge as a third quarterback with a clipboard, or in a classroom setting is one thing, and playing in a hostile situation is another. I give him credit for rising up."

Going the other way are the Chiefs, who have dropped five straight after last week's 16-10 loss to Minnesota. It's the first time in 17 years an Andy Reid-coached team has started with one win through six games.

"Well, we're sitting here and we're 1-5. That's real. And we're not playing very well as a football team," Reid said. "As a coach, you're a problem solver, and I have to solve the problems and get that done quick here."

Injuries, though, are tough to fix. The Chiefs lost Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles for the season to a torn ACL during an 18-17 loss to Chicago on Oct. 11. They were held to season lows in rushing yards (57) and points against the Vikings.

Free agent prize Jeremy Maclin and defensive tackle Mike DeVito are working through the NFL's concussion protocol, but the Chiefs won't use a hampered roster as an out.

"This building all has that attitude that we're all accountable for this, that we've all had a hand in it," said quarterback Alex Smith, who heads the NFL's 19th-ranked passing offense at 240.0 yards per game. "But collectively, that's how we're all going to get out of it."

Three of Kansas City's losses have come by seven points or less and another by 10.

to read rest of article:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/steelers-chiefs-preview-211906370--nfl.html

We have to stop kniles Davis and other RB 's.

Heath Miller will have another poor reception game. We need to max protect our QB.

If Landry Jones makes a mistake, which he probably will, he needs to shake it off. Antonio Brown don't need to show him up.

KC's TE kelcey is going to have at least 150 yds rec & 2 TD's.

There ain't nothing we can do to stop it. We gotta put up at least 24 points.

If you're into weekly fantasy leagues, draft him. If you're going to Vegas, bet on him.

Him or eifert the following week could very well break tight end receiving records.