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The Steelers sneaked into the playoffs thanks to a win over the Ravens, the Colts getting upset by the Jaguars, and the Raiders defeating the Chargers in overtime with a last-second field goal. It wasn't pretty, but the Steelers are in the tournament at 9-7-1.
Anything can happen, right? It sure can, but the Steelers will have to play a near-perfect game on Sunday night against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Just a few weeks ago, the Chiefs stomped the Steelers, 36-10, at Arrowhead. And the Chiefs didn't even have All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, as he was on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Chiefs dominated on both sides of the ball and were +3 in the turnover differential. The Chiefs scored 17 points off the three turnovers. The Steelers simply can't turn the ball over, and they have to keep Patrick Mahomes off the field by controlling the clock. That's easier said than done, but that's the only way I see the Steelers winning or keeping this game competitive.
According to Oddsshark.com, the Chiefs are currently heavy favorites at 12.5 points, and the over/under is 46.5. The Steelers are 4-2 straight up in their last six games, but the total went under in four of those six games. The Steelers are 6-3 straight up in their last nine games against the Chiefs, but they've lost their last two, and both were to Mahomes (2018 and Week 16, 2021).
The Steelers are 23-13 all-time against the Chiefs. Mike Tomlin is 6-4 in his career against the Chiefs, while Ben Roethlisberger is 7-3. The Steelers are 1-1 against the Chiefs in the postseason. The Chiefs beat the Steelers in the wild card round in 1993, and the Steelers beat Kansas City in the divisional round in 2016.