Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
SUNDAY BLITZ Kansas City, Steelers, Ravens share little goodwill Denver seek certainty in playo≠ quest
Rivals bring usual animus into key AFC North clash
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs could have their playoff berth assured before kickoff against the Broncos on Sunday night, provided the Pittsburgh Steelers knock off the Baltimore Ravens earlier in the day.
That hardly diminishes the importance of the game. Kansas City (104) would need to beat Denver (8-6) to clinch its postseason spot if the Ravens win.
“We have to win. It’s pretty much that simple,” Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe said. “They’re coming into our place, and it’s the Broncos. It’s no more intense than that. We have to be ready.”
The Chiefs have won nine straight within the division, including their dramatic win in Denver last month. They scored on their final possession to force overtime that night, then got two field goals from Cairo Santos in overtime — the second ricocheting off the upright — to escape with a 30-27 victory that has proven to be massive in the playoff chase.
Without the win, the Chiefs would be in a much more dire situation. In other words, they would be in Denver’s situation.
The Broncos’ best chance of making the playoffs and defending their Super Bowl title is to beat Kansas City and Oakland in the final two weeks. If they split and finish 9-7, their chances of earning a wild card become slim and would require help from a whole bunch of other teams.
“We have to win out,” Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said. “We have to win out.”
So, both teams believe their divisional showdown is a must-win game. Here are some of the key points that will determine which team is successful:
WIN THE SECOND HALF: The Chiefs’ offense has become anemic in the second half the past three weeks, averaging 124 yards over that span. They also haven’t scored an offensive touchdown in any of those games, and that proved to be debilitating in a 19-17 loss to Tennessee last Sunday.
Tight end Travis Kelce blamed overly conservative play calling afterward, though he later backtracked. But he may have been right: The Chiefs rarely push downfield in the second half of games.
“I look at all of that,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said when asked whether he needs to be more aggressive. “I go through and look at all that.”
LOCKER ROOM RIFF: The Broncos downplayed disharmony in their locker room this week, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Their dynamics became a hot topic after last week’s 16-3 loss to New England when squabbling began between cornerback Aqib Talib and left tackle Russell Okung.
That led to a shouting match between defensive players who have held some of the NFL’s best offenses in check, and a line that’s been blamed for the Broncos’ ugly offense.
TYREEK SHINES: The Broncos should remember well Tyreek Hill. The dynamic rookie wide receiver had touchdowns on the ground, through the air and on a kickoff return against them last month.
Turns out Hill has been at his best in three prime-time games, scoring six touchdowns.
“I guess it just feels like ‘Friday Night Lights,’ going back to high school days,” Hill said. “I always think it’s fun to play under the lights because that’s when everyone is watching. It’s the last game on TV. I know my mom is watching, so I got to show out for her.”
DENVER’S DIVE: The Broncos saw their five-year run as AFC West champs come to an end mainly because of problems along the offensive and defensive lines. They are 27th in the league running the ball and 29th against the run. But because their pass defense remains top notch, the most glaring weakness is their offensive line and inability to bore holes or keep the quarterback upright.
PITTSBURGH — When safety Mike Mitchell arrived in Pittsburgh in 2014, it didn’t take long to get indoctrinated into his new team’s particular distaste for the Baltimore Ravens.
“It was just you don’t like Baltimore,” Mitchell said. “It was like growing up in the Cold War: you don’t like Russia.”
Call it the byproduct of a decade-plus of trying to wrest the AFC North title from the other (save for the occasional intrusion by Cincinnati). The two franchises that have claimed 10 of 14 division crowns since the AFC North was formed in 2002 meet at Heinz Field on Sunday. The winner earns a direct path to the playoffs. The loser is almost certainly out.
“I’m assuming this is what the NFL wanted,” Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said.
Considering the occasionally wayward paths Pittsburgh (9-5) and Baltimore (8-6) took to get here, they’ll take it, too. Both have endured fourgame losing streaks that evaporated their early-season momentum. Both have rebounded late in the season. The Steelers have won five straight, and Baltimore is 5-2 since its bye week, the two setbacks on the road to New England and Dallas.
Baltimore is 6-1 in its past seven meetings with Pittsburgh, including a playoff win at Heinz Field in 2014. In a 21-14 victory at home on Nov. 6, the Ravens completely shut down Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown for three quarters in Roethlisberger’s first game back from knee surgery. The Steelers insist they’re far better than they were six weeks ago. Then again, so is Baltimore, a team that seems to thrive when playing in front of a sea of yellow Terrible Towels.
“It is not about being comfortable there or not being comfortable there,” said quarterback Joe Flacco, who is 5-6 in Pittsburgh. “It is just about the fact that it is a big game in a high-pressure situation. They don’t like us, and that is what it is all about.”
The Steelers can lock up the division and earn a third straight playoff berth with a win. Baltimore needs to top Pittsburgh, then win in Cincinnati on New Year’s Day to return to the postseason after missing out in 2015. Just another layer to add to a combustible mix on a day designed to celebrate peace and joy.
GROWING UP: Pittsburgh’s defense found itself ranked 30th in October, but has risen all the way to eighth in yards allowed after limiting the Bengals to 222 yards in a 2420 comeback win last week. While some of the credit goes to a weak stretch in the schedule (Cleveland and Buffalo), the Steelers are also benefiting from the rapid maturation of rookie defensive backs Artie Burns and Sean Davis and rookie nose tackle Javon Hargrave.
SMITH COUNTDOWN: Smith could be playing in the penultimate game of his outstanding career.
The 37-year-old intended to retire last year, but tore his Achilles tendon in Week 7 and decided to return for another season. He’s made the most of it, catching 60 passes for 686 yards and four TDs. He isn’t getting nostalgic just yet.
“I try not to. I just try to be in the moment,” Smith said. “I try not to think too far ahead. I try not to make this game more than it already is, which is a lot. You just try to narrow your focus, make it play by play, day by day, game by game.”