The Battle in the Trenches Will Make or Break Chiefs vs. Steelers on Sunday

Simply put, the Steelers' offensive line has been poor this season. The unit is 31st in ESPN's run block win rate, and rookie running back Najee Harris is averaging a measly 3.6 yards per carry on the ground. It's also 30th in pass block win rate, contributing to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger having the league's fastest time from snap to throw. Roethlisberger also isn't aging very well and offensive coordinator Matt Canada's system isn't doing him many favors, so various factors contribute to Pittsburgh's offensive attack being relatively vanilla.

That opens the door for the Chiefs' defense — that is getting Chris Jones back and has defensive end Melvin Ingram playing in a revenge game — to make a statement. With the aforementioned two, as well as a rejuvenated Frank Clark and a slightly improved run defense from what the NFL saw at the beginning of the 2021 campaign, things are setting up nicely for Steve Spagnuolo's group to limit Harris' impact while making Roethlisberger uncomfortable.

On the offensive side of the ball for the Chiefs, they need to contain pass rushers T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward. Heyward has seven sacks this year, and Watt leads the league with 17.5. Right tackle Lucas Niang, as of the publishing of this article, is still on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Swing tackle Mike Remmers is also on the list, as well as remaining on injured reserve. Protecting Patrick Mahomes will take a stellar offensive line performance, as well as a game plan that gets the ball out of Mahomes' hands quickly — especially if Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce are unable to play.

Last, but certainly not least, running the football could be the biggest key to victory for the Chiefs on Sunday. Kansas City's offensive line is one of the best in the business in regards to run block win rate, and Pittsburgh allows the second-most rushing yards per game to opponents this year. If Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams are heavily utilized in this game, it could signal great things for the Chiefs.

If the Chiefs can combine all of these factors together, they should be in a tremendous spot to win the game. Some contests are about the star quarterbacks or receivers. This one, however, is about the units up front. Can the Chiefs pressure Roethlisberger? Can they avoid allowing Mahomes to get pressured? How much success will each team's running game have on Sunday? None of those questions have clear answers, but the Chiefs should do their best to find out once kickoff rolls around.

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