The Pittsburgh Steelers blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was of historic proportions. I’m not just saying that as a Steelers fan, either. It really was historic. The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t lost by 31 points since the 1989 season when Bubby Brister and the Steelers lost 41-10 to the Cincinnati Bengals.
It truly was a historic beat down by the Philadelphia Eagles, and I commend them for their effort. With that being said…Lets get into the Steelers Week Four Keys to Victory against the Kansas City Chiefs!
Pittsburgh Steelers Week Four Keys to Victory
Ring the Bell. Again and Again.
The return of star running back Le’Veon Bell couldn’t come at a better time. After putting up a measly three points last week, the Steelers will have their bell cow back against the Kansas City Chiefs. BELL cow…get it?
Unlike that pun, Bell has been nothing short of amazing since entering the NFL in 2013 as the 48th overall pick (second round). Since entering the NFL, he has accumulated an impressive 4,166 yards from scrimmage on 799 total touches. That’s good enough for a 5.2/yard average every time he touches the ball.
It’s an even more impressive effort considering Bell has been sidelined 16 games due to injuries and suspensions in his young career.
But don’t expect head coach Mike Tomlin to shy away from giving Bell the football. Multiple outlets have reported Bell will be highly involved in the offense, as he should be. The Kansas City Chiefs rank tied for 24th in rushing defense, giving up an average of 123 rushing yards a game. Expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to toll the Bell early and often. (last pun, I swear).
Create Some Sort of Pressure on Defense
Oh, where art thou, Steel Curtain? Through three games, the Pittsburgh Steelers have one quarterback sack. Even worse, the defense only has six quarterback pressures.
For comparisons sake, the Minnesota Vikings lead the NFL with 15 sacks, while the Los Angeles Rams lead the NFL with 26 quarterback pressures.
The lack of pressure in Pittsburgh can be attributed to a multitude of variables, but none larger than their problem at outside linebacker. For an excellent analysis, check out this article by fellow Last Word on Pro Football writer Parker Hurley.
On top of not sacking the quarterback, the defense isn’t forcing turnovers. The Steelers only have two interceptions and both happen to be by linebackers – Ryan Shazier and James Harrison.
And it’s not like the Steelers defense hasn’t had the opportunity to sack or intercept the quarterback, either. Opposing offenses have already thrown 128 times through three games, good for an astounding 42.6 pass attempts a game against.
The turnovers simply aren’t there for the sheer volume of attempts the defense has seen. If the Steelers expect to win on Sunday, they’ll need to create pressure and create turnovers. Plain and simple.
Interesting note – Eagles head coach Doug Pederson is a disciple of Andy Reid’s west coast offense; the same type of offense that shredded the Steelers defense last week.
Protect the Football and Create Turnovers
It’s one of the oldest adages in football. Protect the football and create turnovers. And through three games of 2016, the Pittsburgh Steelers have done neither.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has thrown four interceptions to start the season. If the Steelers expect to be victorious on Sunday (and frankly through the entire 2016 season), they’ll need to take care of the football. A team simply cannot be successful when they turn the football over that much.
Protecting the football will be even more paramount as the Kansas City Chiefs defense is coming off a six interception, eight turnover game against the New York Jets. Two forced fumbles were on Jets running backs, so it will be interesting to see Le’Veon Bell’s ball security early. Bell hasn’t played a snap since week eight of 2015 due to a season-ending knee injury.
The Kansas City Chiefs defense is led by veteran safety Eric Berry and corner back Marcus Peters (three interceptions combined last week vs. NYJ). The Chiefs defensive line and linebacker corps have typically been among the NFL’s best, but have fallen short this year with only three sacks.
Their defensive sack total isn’t indicative of their talent, as Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson and Dee Ford are among the best pass rushers in the NFL. They go against a Steelers offensive line which yielded four sacks against the Eagles least week.
Pittsburgh will need to protect the football, and protect the quarterback if they expect to win on Sunday.
