Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes: 'We’re expecting a battle' vs. Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to back in to the playoffs and extend the Hall of Fame playing career of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for at least one more game. Pittsburgh, understandably, is a massive underdog heading into Sunday's prime-time wild-card showdown at a Kansas City Chiefs side that dominated the Steelers to the tune of 36-10 back on Dec. 26. Roethlisberger seemed to understand that when he said on Wednesday he wants his team to "just go in and play and have fun."

Chiefs quarterback and one-time Super Bowl champion and Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes responded by speaking highly of the opposition during his media availability. 

"They have a lot of really good coaches over there, they have a lot of really good players and they’ve played in playoff games," Mahomes said of the Steelers, according to Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "They understand how to change stuff up, they understand to go back to what they’re great at. So, we’re expecting a battle. We’ll be ready to go and we’re going to try to find answers for everything. They’re going to throw all different pitches to us, and we have to be able to respond and have success as much as possible."

As for potentially being partly responsible for sending Roethlisberger off into the sunset with a defeat, Mahomes added that the 39-year-old is "an all-time great quarterback" who is "still playing great football right now" heading into the postseason tournament.

"They’re a team that’s beat a lot of good football teams and so to get to play against Big Ben is an honor for me," Mahomes remarked. "He’s a great football player." 

Mahomes is only 26, but he often reminds the football community he's wise beyond his years.