The Steelers want to get the bad taste of a 21-21 tie at Cleveland out of their mouth.
Six turnovers and blowing a 14-point lead in the final eight minutes of a game will leave quite a bitter aftertaste, especially when it happens against a team that had won just one of its past 32 games.
On paper, it would seem a matchup against the Chiefs would be exactly what the doctor didn't order. After all, the defending AFC West Division champions went on the road last week and whipped the Chargers.
Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdown passes while making just his second career start -- though two were one-yard tosses -- while speedy receiver Tyreek Hill scored three times, two on receptions and one on a 91-yard punt return. The 38-28 win didn't include big contributions from a pair of All-Pro players in tight end Travis Kelce (1 catch, 6 yards) and running back Kareem Hunt (16 carries, 49 yards).
The Steelers (0-0-1) can relate. They got a bad game from the one player they couldn't afford it from -- Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger was responsible for five of the turnovers, throwing three interceptions and losing a pair of fumbles in the rain. He also suffered an elbow injury on the Steelers' next-to-last offensive play -- when his second fumble occurred -- an issue that caused him to miss practice Wednesday and Thursday.
"It didn’t give us a chance to win the game," Randy Fichtner said of his first game at the helm of the Steelers' offense. "The bottom line is, and you guys know this, and I told our group this, it’s going to be about that with us, and it’s going to be about that if you’re ever talking about this offense and me. We did not put ourselves, or give us, enough chances or our best opportunity to win that game. That was directly, probably a lot, because of turnovers."
One thing Fichtner and the Steelers were happy with was the play of second-year running back James Conner. Subbing for Le'Veon Bell, who continues to be MIA in a contract dispute, Conner posted 135 rushing yards and another 57 on five receptions while scoring two touchdowns last week.
"That other runner (Conner) is pretty good," Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. "He is a local kid from there. He has done a nice job for himself, made a nice niche. I don’t think they are caught up in all of that from the sounds of it. And he is playing well.”
The Steelers might need that to continue to help keep the Chiefs at bay. Cornerbacks Joe Haden (doubtful, hamstring) and Artie Burns (questionable, toe) are banged up. That's not a great situation going into a game against Hill, perhaps the fastest player in the league, and Sammy Watkins, whom the Chiefs paid $16 million per year to acquire in free agency.
And Mahomes is just the kind of big-armed quarterback to get them the ball, a direct contrast to former starter Alex Smith, whom the Chiefs traded to Washington in the offseason.
"They do a lot of stuff they did last year except they kind of doctored it up for this quarterback," Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. "This quarterback is more of a what people are calling RPO's (run-pass options). They did all that stuff with him, so they put that in their offense. But that is still the same offense, still Andy Reid doing what he wants to do."
The Steelers have done a good job of not allowing that to happen against Reid-coached teams in recent years. The Steelers are 4-1 against the Chiefs with Reid as head coach, with the only loss coming in a game which Roethlisberger missed with an injury. Landry Jones started for the Steelers and the Chiefs scored a 23-13 win.
That's the most points they've scored against the Steelers in that stretch. Even with that game, the Chiefs have averaged 15.6 points per game against Pittsburgh in the Reid era.
"Every game has been a little bit different, but the end result was that they won the game," Reid said. "When you play this crew, you have to play a complete game, you have to do it for four quarters. Given opportunities, you have to take advantage of opportunities on both sides of the ball and special teams. That normally is what differs a game when two good teams are playing each other. Eliminate some mistakes in certain places and you will be all right.”
THE ESSENTIALS
• When: 1:02 p.m.
• Where: Heinz Field
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Satellite: SiriusXM channel 227 (Internet 826)
• Forecast: 81 degrees, chance of rain
• Lots open: 9 a.m.
• Will call open: 11 a.m.
• Gates open: 11 a.m.
• Boxscore: NFL Game Center
• Odds: MyBookie.AG
THE INJURY REPORT
Steelers: QB Ben Roethlisberger (elbow, questionable), CB Artie Burns (toe, questionable), TE Vance McDonald (foot, questionable), DE Cameron Heyward (knee, questionable), DE Tyson Alualu (shoulder, doubtful), CB Joe Haden (hamstring, doubtful), G David DeCastro (hand, doubtful)
Chiefs: S Eric Berry (heel, doubtful), LB Ben Niemann (hamstring, out)
THE KEY VARIABLE
Kansas City jumped out to a 31-12 lead against the Chargers last week and held on to win 38-28, but they allowed more than 500 yards of offense to Philip Rivers. But the Chargers also dropped three passes -- two by Travis Benjamin and one by Tyrell Williams -- on which they had gotten deep behind Kansas City's defense.
If Philip Rivers retires tomorrow I wouldn’t blame him pic.twitter.com/2p9DomurvV
— Tom Martin (@TomKCTV5) September 10, 2018
The Chiefs are still waiting for former All-Pro safety Eric Berry to recover from a torn Achilles' tendon suffered early last season. Without him in the lineup, the Chiefs had five new starters on their defense in the opener against the Chargers.
"(They have) a lot of new faces and that’s the thing," said Roethlisberger. "I spent a lot of time thinking about the Chiefs and the defense. We faced them a lot in the last few years. But there are a lot of new faces, especially the corners and the secondary, the d-line, still some familiar outside linebackers with the pass rush but it’s definitely a different looking defense even though the defensive coordinator is still the same."
The Steelers will present a great challenge for this defense, to be sure. Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster might be the best one-two punch at receiver in the NFL and the Steelers should get tight end Vance McDonald back, as well. They could, however, be without All-Pro guard David DeCastro, who suffered a broken bone in his hand against Cleveland. B.J. Finney would start in his place.
McDonald, out since the start of training camp because of a foot injury, missed the opener against the Browns but practiced as a full participant all week. The Steelers have been itching to use his downfield speed and athleticism to create mismatches.
"I think Vance is a really good weapon for us and we hope to have him out there," Roethlisberger said. "He’s got to be smart and get out there when he is ready to go because we can’t afford for him to do something crazy and have him out for the whole season because he is a very vital part of this offense."
HISTORY LESSON
Perhaps the Steelers will want to avoid overtime this week as their past two overtime games against Kansas City have resulted in Roethlisberger getting hurt.
The Steelers have lost just one game to the Chiefs in which Roethlisberger started. That came in 2009 in Kansas City, when Roethlisberger was scrambling and was struck in the head by defensive end Andy Studebaker's knee on the opening possession of overtime in a 27-24 loss at Arrowhead Stadium.
Roethlisberger suffered a concussion on the play and was replaced by Charlie Batch, who maneuvered the Steelers nearly into field goal range at the Kansas City 35. But Mewelde Moore was dropped for a three-yard loss on third-and-2 and the Steelers were forced to punt.
Chris Chambers had a 61-yard catch-and-run on a pass from Matt Cassel to set up a 22-yard game-winning field goal by Ryan Succop to give then-Kansas City head coach Todd Haley his third win in a 4-12 season.
Roethlisberger finished 32-of-42 for 398 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. It's the most yards Roethlisberger has thrown for in a game against Kansas City.
That game was not the only one against the Chiefs Roethlisberger has not finished.
Nov. 12, 2012, Roethlisberger suffered a shoulder injury and fractured rib in the third quarter of the 16-13 Steelers' overtime victory at Heinz Field after being sandwiched on a sack by linebackers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali.
Lawrence Timmons had an interception and returned it to the Kansas City 5 less than a minute into overtime to set up Shaun Suisham's game-winning field goal.
THE MAIN MATCHUP
Hill might be the league's most dangerous playmaker. Strike that. He is the league's most dangerous playmaker since joining the Chiefs as a fifth-round draft pick in 2016.
How dangerous?
He has 13 touchdowns of 56 or more yards in 32 career games, six on catches, four on punt returns, two on runs and one on a kickoff.
He also has four punt returns of at least 78 yards, including his 91-yard scamper early last week against the Chargers that set the tone for that game.
"We’ve known about his kick return capabilities, his game-changing kick returner capabilities for several years," Mike Tomlin said. "I think when you look at last week, I think you see continued growth as a wide receiver in the way that they utilize him in the offense. He started off, early in his career, strictly as a kick returner and gadget guy. He got infused and became a core offensive weapon. I think last week showed that he is the Chiefs' receiving threat. His ability to blow the game open, take a short pass and turn it into a long gain is something to be contested."
The Steelers have faced Hill three times already, twice in the regular season and once in the playoffs, and have done a good job of keeping him in check. Hill has 14 receptions in those games against the Steelers, but has averaged just 5.4 yards per catch. He also has run the ball five times for seven yards.
But against Los Angeles, Hill caught seven passes in eight targets for 169 yards and two scores. Including his punt and kick return yardage, he had 298 yards by himself.
"He's a dynamic playmaker," said Steelers free safety Sean Davis. "We know that. We know how fast he is. We can't let him get behind us."
If both Haden and Burns miss this game, that could prove difficult. The Steelers like their depth in the secondary this season, but Cameron Sutton and Coty Sensabaugh, who would be the starters if Haden and Burns are out, will face a stiff test.
He'll also prove an interesting matchup in the punting game. Hill has had some success in that respect against the Steelers, averaging 11.8 yards per punt return on five attempts. But they've sacrificed some distance for fair catches in the past against him, as well.
"You have to be on top of it to really stop him from getting into any routines," punter Jordan Berry said. "We need the whole 11 guys out there to do their best. In the past we've tried to kick the ball high and short directionally to make it easy for our cover guys to get down there and not give him any space. Last week he got that one -- you give him a couple yards room and he gets out."
Hill put a scare into the Steelers in a playoff win two years ago when he broke free for a long punt return against them only to have it nullified by a penalty.
The Steelers have to make sure they get to Hill before he gets up to full speed and rally to the football.
"He's done that before to us but luckily we had the penalty against him," Berry said. "That ball was one of the best I hit. Had over five seconds hang time and was a yard from the sideline and he still managed to take it all the way back on us. We were lucky there in that situation. You have to make sure you don't give him the type of space. (You) have to make sure you have guys on top of him when he catches it."
THE QUOTES
• "He is on special teams. He said '10’s fast,' I said I already knew that." -- T.J. Watt on asking brother Derek, a fullback for the Chargers, if he had any tips on playing against Kansas City
• "I thought every week last year he got better and better, as I looked at him last year. And then you look at him where he’s at now. Relentless player. Good family genes. They are both good players. He does a nice job and plays hard. Has a nice little package as far as run and pass." -- Reid on Watt
• "I have two of them." -- Roethlisberger when asked how his elbow was Wednesday
THE TEN DATA POINTS
• There were 255 penalties assessed during the opening weekend of the 2018 NFL season. That's the second-most in a weekend since 2007. There were an average of 15.9 penalties for 140.8 yards assessed per game last weekend. The Steelers' tie against Cleveland contributed 23 of those penalties, 12 by Pittsburgh and 11 by Cleveland.
• Conner joined Louis Lipps last week as one of just two players in Steelers history to have more than 175 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in a regular season opener. Lipps accomplished it to open the 1984 season, in a loss to Kansas City.
• Brown eclipsed 10,000 yards for his career in the tie against the Browns last week and now has 10,003 yards in his career in 116 games. He matched Torry Holt for the second-fewest games needed to reach that plateau.
• The Steelers are 15-2 in home openers since opening Heinz Field in 2001. They have won their past four, including 26-9 against Minnesota last season.
• After recording a sack in the opener against Cleveland, Cameron Heyward needs two more to become the third defensive lineman in team history to record 40 in his career. Keith Willis had 59. Aaron Smith had 44. (Before the statistic became official, L.C. Greenwood had 73.5, Joe Greene had 66 and Dwight White 46.)
• Roethlisberger enters Sunday's game needing 76 yards to slide by John Elway (51,475) for seventh place on the league's all-time passing yardage list.
• The Steelers allowed 15 passing plays of 40 or more yards in their final 10 games last season -- including the postseason. Those 15 40-yard plays came in eight of the 10 games, with only Houston and Cincinnati not connecting on a big passing play. The Steelers did not allow a passing play of 40 or more yards last week against Cleveland.
• Last week against the Chargers, Hill became the third player since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 with 150 receiving yards and a punt return TD in the same game, joining DeSean Jackson and Tim Dwight.
• Their victory over the Chargers last week was the ninth straight in that series for the Chiefs. Reid is 17-2 against AFC West opponents since 2015.
• The Steelers lead the all-time series against the Chiefs, 22-10, including an 11-4 record in Pittsburgh.
THE FANTASY FREE PLAY
Typically, we wouldn't put Roethlisberger on this list, but given his five-turnover performance last week, he merits a mention. But Roethlisberger has faced the Chiefs eight times in his career and has averaged just under 240 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. Those numbers are even better at home, where his TD-to-interception ratio is 9-0. And that was against far better Kansas City defenses than this one. The Chiefs are going to be overmatched in the secondary. His elbow injury also will scare some people away. Don't worry. Put Roethlisberger in your lineup and sit back while he piles up the points.
THE STAFF PICKS
Our football coverage team offers predictions:
Dale Lolley: Kansas City's defense is, well, not good. In fact, if the Chargers' receivers could catch, Rivers would have easily topped 500 yards last week. Roethlisberger, Brown and Smith-Schuster should have their way with a bad cornerback group. They also don't stop the run effectively and the inside linebackers don't do well in coverage. The Chargers' running backs combined to catch 14 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown last week. Conner showed he can be a factor in the passing game and the Steelers will use him heavily as a runner again, even though you can expect to see Stevan Ridley and Jaylen Samuels mixed in, as well. This game has all the look of a shootout and it likely will be one. But the Steelers will make enough defensive plays against Mahomes, who is making just his third career start, to make it a respectable win. Steelers, 34-21
Chris Bradford: To be sure, no Week 2 game is ever a "must-win." But coming off last season's dismal loss to Jacksonville in the playoffs followed by last week's tie to a Cleveland team that had won one of its previous 32, it kind of is for the Steelers. Fortunately for them, they get the Chiefs' defense. There's no more Marcus Peters, Hali or Dontari Poe to worry about and it looks like Berry will be sitting this one out, too. Against a porous K.C. secondary, I'd expect Roethlisberger to throw for at least 350 and three TDs. Mahomes, Hill and Hunt might be exciting but they're still a few years away from, you know, winning. Steelers, 38-24
Christopher Carter: The Chiefs' defense is riding the struggle bus this year and without Berry is ripe to be picked apart by Roethlisberger. If he can recognize their attempts at disguised coverage packages, he should have no problem targeting the Steelers' superior receiver group. I don't think the Chiefs' protection is quite ready for the various blitzes the Steelers will bring and expect 4+ sacks. Fluster Mahomes and get him to make mistakes that get you turnovers. Steelers 35-14
Matt Sunday: Close your eyes and imagine Tyrod Taylor evading the Steelers defense and tossing touchdowns to lead a comeback against the Steelers. Ok, now open them realize that was a real thing that happened. Now, imagine Mahomes, a bigger, and a pretty dang impressive evasive presence himself, but with one heck of an arm. I know Mahomes is still a kid in the NFL, but I've been impressed with this "kid" since seeing him force Davis Webb to transfer away from Texas Tech. None of this really matters, of course. The Steelers should move the ball at will against the Chiefs, and Conner is primed for another Bell-like contribution. They just need to prevent being mesmerized by Mahomes' feet while he finds a target 50 yards downfield. Steelers, 34-24
Dejan Kovacevic: It'll be an annoying game for the home faithful. That's the first feel I have for this. They'll want to show all the love for Conner, since he'll have the touches and the holes to have it all rain down. They'll want to stick it to Bell, in their own way. But Mahomes and Hill have too much talent -- bullet arm, rocket runner -- to not be effective against the Steelers' still-developing defense. They'll move the ball, and at times with disturbing ease. So all concerned might just have to settle for a W. Which will be a ton better than a T in Cleveland, right? Steelers, 31-21