The Steelers week four battle with the Kansas City Chiefs will show little to nothing like the game we are expected to see this weekend. The two teams are completely different. In the week four matchup, it was Le’Veon Bell’s first game back from his three-game suspension. He finished with an impressive 144 rushing yards on just 18 carries. Heading into the divisional round, the Steelers will be hoping for a similar rushing total, but at the same time, know that Bell will have to have more carries this time around.
Le’Veon Bell is Biggest Difference Maker of the Divisional Round
Chiefs Week Four Weakness
In the first matchup, the Chiefs had a major weakness, and the Steelers exploited it. Marcus Peters missed practice the entire week with a flu, and their second cornerback Phillip Gaines missed the game with injury. D.J. White had to step up, and ended up playing 30 of his season total 138 snaps in that game.
The Steelers first play was a 47-yard bomb to Sammie Coates. That drive, five of the Steelers first six plays were pass attempts, and Ben Roethlisberger finished the game with five passing touchdowns. It was a complete exploitation.
Week Four vs. Divisional Round
However, Ben Roethlisberger is a much better passer at Heinz Field than he is on the road. This season, he has shown his worst home, road splits yet. He was also seen in a walking boot after their wild card win on Sunday. Roethlisberger is supposed to play and be healthy, but a lot of signs point to the fact that he will not be as efficient on Sunday as he was in week four.
Since week four, Marcus Peters got healthy and went on to be named to the All-Pro team. In week 13, Terrance Mitchell stepped in over Gaines and White at cornerback, and has been a strong commodity. That gaping weakness that showed in week four is no longer here, and the strength of Ben Roethlisberger in the pass game, is not as strong as before.
In this game, the Chiefs have new weakness. Allen Bailey and Jaye Howard have been placed on the IR on the defensive line, and Derrick Johnson, the team’s best run defender, and a former All-Pro will not be on the field either. That all has led to the Chiefs ranking 26th in defensive efficiency when it comes to stopping the run.
While the Chiefs weakness has changed, so has the Steelers strength. Over the Steelers eight-game winning streak, Bell has been active for seven of them. In those seven games, Bell has averaged 27.1 carries per game, much higher than the 18 he saw in week four. In this game, it feels like 30 should be the low bar.
Bell Can Change the Game
With the patience of Bell to break into the second level, combined with the lack of Johnson to slow down Bell at the second level, it sets up to be a great matchup for the Steelers rushing offense. While five out of the first six plays were pass plays against the Chiefs in week four, it would be no surprise to see the Steelers open their divisional battle with five runs on their first six plays.
If Bell can have the same success he did on just 18 carries with a heavier workload, it is safe to say the Steelers should walk away with an easy victory, whether Roethlisberger road struggles continue or if he is healthy or not. If the Chiefs can step up, and defend the run, their chances of winning increase dramatically. It sounds so simple, but more than any other game this weekend, one facet truly should decide it. Le’Veon Bell mentioned that he is changing the game this week. Bell will have the stage, the matchup and the ability to be the biggest game changer of the weekend, and head into championship weekend as the biggest difference maker in the NFL.
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