Really, the Steelers outplayed the Chiefs. The game should never have been close. Giving up the opening kickoff was unacceptable. Studebaker’s interception was unacceptable. The 4th quarter defense from the first few weeks of the season showed up, and that was unacceptable.
That game was less the Chiefs beating the Steelers and more the Steelers giving the game away. Credit the Chiefs for doing what they could to win, but you can fault the Steelers for not running away with the game early.
No excuses though. The Steelers made more mistakes and they lost the game. Jump for the recap once you’re done with your bottle of Jack’s.
FIRST QUARTER
Chiefs score on the opening kickoff. Vomit. Fire somebody. 7-0.
Steelers go three and out with a holding penalty in there somwhere. Vomit. Neither the offense nor special teams showed up for their first appearance. Good news is the defense decided to make the trip to KC. They force a Kansas City punt. Unfortunately KC has a special teams coach and they down the punt at the goal line.
Mendenhall gets a nice hole on the following series. Ben fires a nice shot downfield to Mike Wallace. He makes the catch this week. Then he forgets he has to KEEP his hands on it. Fumble. Kansas City recovers.
This is not how a game between the Chiefs and Steelers is supposed to be.
The Steeler defense is still awesome and forces another 3 and out. Punt goes through the end zone for a touchback.
On first down Ben finds Ward for a huge completion. Ward hangs on. A few downs later Mewelde Moore converts a third and short. That guy is money. Later on, Steelers get a 4th and 1 after a bunch of penalties. Mendenhall converts.
SECOND QUARTER
Reed on for a field goal. 7-3. (It is at this point that Brian finished his sandwich and could stop being so lazy about this recap)
On the ensuing kickoff, Ike Taylor is spotted covering. Think the Steelers got the message?
Chiefs on 3rd down bust out a little bit of an option offense and pick up a first with it. Two plays later it’s 3rd and 14. Ain’t happenin’. Punt.
Logan gets a solid return, Donovan Woods takes a penalty, and some dude for the Chiefs breaks his wrist or something.
Mendenhall sow up in the passing game on first down for a 9 yard catch, then busts through the defense on the next play for a good gain and a first. Hines makes a catch at the sticks for a first down. Next play, Heath is in his own zip code for a catch and a huge run. A couple plays later and Ben finds Heath again down inside the 10. One failed run and on the next play, Ben rolls out. Open field between him and the end zone. He looks like he’s about to take off and run. One of the Chiefs’ DBs agrees, and Ben lofts a pass over his head to Hines Ward standing still alone in the end zone. Bank. 10-7 Steelers.
On Kansas City’s next play, Brett Keisel is absolutely headlocked from behind. Doesn’t matter though, as Casey Hampton breaks into the backfield and gets to him. Sacked. On 3rd and 12, Cassel get hit as he throws. It hits the turf. Punt.
Logan gets another solid punt return. Mendenhall gets a yard, then a nice catch on a swing route he turns into a first. Holmes blocked like a beast on that play. After the two minute warning, Ben throws a lopsided pass. Good enough to get to Mike Wallace. First down. On second down, Ben makes one of his trademark plays. Tamba Hali appears to be rushing in unblocked, Ben effortless dodges him, and floats a pass to Heath at the goal line. Money. 17-7.
The Chiefs don’t understand clock management. They let something like 20 seconds run off the clock while they have three timeouts. By the time Cassel’s next pass hits the turf there are 10 seconds left. Somewhere in there, Ryan Clark game a patented hit to Jamaal Charles. Cassel fires another pass way out of bounds. LaMarr Woodley closes out the half when he buries Matt Cassel in the turf.
THIRD QUARTER
Logan manages a 38 yard return on the opening kickoff. One of these days he’s going to break one. Ward snags a first down. And then the apocalypse strikes.
A pass bounces off of Heath Miller’s hands. Up in the air and intercepted by a guy whose family invented something in the 1800s or something. To his credit, Heath makes a solid tackle from behind. Nevertheless, the Chiefs take over.
Cassel comes out and actually completes a pass or two. In fact, Cassel puts together a drive and find Leonard Pope uncovered inside the 10. Touchdown. 17-14. Someone blew that coverage for sure.
Mendenhall gets beaten up on the Steelers’ next drive. It definitely isn’t helping that Kemoeatu isn’t in. Mysterious injury. Sepulveda punts for the first time of the game.
The Chiefs’ first half offense comes back and goes three and out. Ryan Clark gets his hands on a pass but loses it in a crowd. Punt.
Holmes on a slant. First down. Oh wait, no. Refs call unnecessary roughness on Heath Miller. This is a strange dimension, this Kansas City. Where Heath Miller is not the most solid player on the field.
Holmes picks up another first on a screen pass, but someone probably runs the wrong route after that as Ben fires at least 15 yards over everyone. Ben dodges another joke of a linebacker and hits Ward for a first down. Twice. A few plays later, Kansas City shows blitz and Ben calls a timeout for it.
Willie Colon sucks. Holding penalty. 1st and 20. Holmes gets back the penalty yardage and then some. Heath gets the rest of it. First down.
Ben sees Ward in the end zone and doesn’t even see Studebaker lurking. Picked off. He’s running it back down the sideline with Holmes in pursuit. Everyone knows Santonio Holmes is faster than every linebacker. But he gives up on the play. He jogs behind Studebaker and ends up getting blocked. What a sad effort. Mendenhall catches up and makes the tackle near the goal line. That’s what a good effort looks like. Really disappointed in Tone there.
Woodley and Harrison do not approve of this scenario. They bury Matt Cassel and the Chiefs settle for a field goal. How huge is it that Mendenhall came back for that tackle? 17-17.
There is no way the Steelers should be tied right now. They’ve been outplaying the Chiefs all day to this point. That the Chiefs have tied the game at this point is a travesty.
FOURTH QUARTER
Starks gets hurt. Wonderful. Next play, the Chiefs look like they have him wrapped up, but he sneaks out for a 6 yard gain. Doesn’t matter though, as the Steelers have to punt it away.
Next drive, Tyrone Carter takes a facemask penalty. Lame. Brett Keisel drops the ball carrier behind the line. Finally, the defense makes a play. Timmons comes up behind Cassel. Sacked. Fumbled. Recovered by James Harrison. Bank. Steelers take over a the 27.
Mendenhall grinds out a first down and then snags a pass at the goal line. Touchdown. 24-17.
Matt Cassel throws an incompletion, and then when he finally does get a ball into someone’s hands, Carter headlocks him at the line of scrimmage and waits for the cavalry. The Chiefs end up taking a time out to contemplate why they’re even playing football. Cassel comes out and hits Lance Long, who is presumably a male porn star, for a 30 yard gain. Ryan Clark does his best to knock the ball out on a huge hit, but it isn’t enough. Next play he finds Chris Chambers all alone downfield. Tackle made at the 13 yard line. Ugly pass defense on this drive. A couple of plays later, the Chiefs have first and goal at the 2. One more play and it’s a touchdown to Jamaal Charles. 24-24. What an awful performance by the defense on that drive.
Five minutes left. Tie game. Steelers getting the ball. Here we go. Logan sets them up at the 29.
Heath makes a catch on first down. Repeat performance on 2nd and they get a new set of downs for it. Mendenhall for 3 yards. Ben’s next pass is batted down. 3rd and 7. The Chiefs smell blood. Ben is sacked. Punt.
Refs kill the momentum, thankfully, with some non-penalty. Cassel hits Long on second down. Two minute warning. Big time moment coming up. Third down and 3. Cassel gets the pass off. Someone maybe got a hand on it. Maybe not. Either way, it bounces off MArk Bradley’s hands. Punt.
Derrick Johnson gets the most impressive sack I have ever seen. Sitting on top of Mewelde Moore, he drives him back into Roethlisberger. His feet are in the air and he drags Ben down through a blocker. Just an incredible effort. Have to respect that.
Ward picks up a first down. Heath pulls in the next pass. Next one gets away from Hines. 3rd & 5. They get to Ben again. He fumbles it but gets it himself. Punt. Ugh.
Brian Waters gets called for holding. With 15 seconds left in regulation, Cassel takes the knee for overtime.
OVERTIME
Steelers win the toss. Yessss. Logan takes the touchback and the Steelers set up at the 20.
Mendenhall up the middle for 7. Ward over the middle for 17 yards and a first down. Mendenhall churns out another 7 yards with some raw power. Tackling him in a pile must be like catching a fish with your bare hands.
On the next play Ben rolls out and tries to run for the first. Stopped short, but who cares. He takes a knee to the head. Vicious hit. Doctors come out and make sure he can move all his fingers and toes. He does end up walking off the field.
Batch checks in. Right off the bat, he hits Santonio Holmes for a first down. Next play though, he floats one into the flat, almost picked off. The offense stalls, and just out of field goal range, they have to punt.
Charles picks up a first down. Ike gets his hands on an interception, but it’s Ike Taylor and he drops it. And then Chris Chambers made the play that won the game. Takes a short pass, makes some people miss, and before you know it he’s down to the 4. Succop kicks an extra point field goal. Game over. The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime.
Steelers fans everywhere = stunned.
