The Pittsburg Steelers take on the Kansas Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Game is scheduled to kickoff at 1:00 PM. ET.
Last week the Steelers defeated a powerful Arizona Cardinals team. In the victory, the Steelers’ offense had to overcome the loss of starting quarterback Michael Vick after he exited the game with a leg injury. In his place third string quarterback, Landry Jones, came in and helped lead the Steelers to a victory.
Last week the Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Minnesota Vikings. This was the first game following Jamaal Charles’ season ending injury. The Chiefs number one option out of the backfield was Charcandrick West, and not Knile Davis. In previous years, Knile Davis has played well in Charles’ absence, so it’s somewhat surprising that the Chiefs elected to go with West. In week seven, the Chiefs must somehow overcome the Steelers top ten run defense, if they have any chance of winning this game.
A player to watch in this game for the Steelers is Landry Jones. Jones is a third string quarterback on the Steelers roster, but he’ll be under center come Sunday. Against the Cardinals stout defense he showed a lot of poise. He threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon. This week is his first official start in the NFL and he will not have the element of surprise against the Chiefs.
A player to watch this week for the Chiefs is Travis Kelce. He tied for the most targets last week from Alex Smith and is the Chiefs best offensive weapon when Charles is not on the field. The Steelers will certainly roll coverage his way, but Smith will need to get the ball in his hands in the red zone. Smith does not have a lot of weapons and he’ll need to utilize Kelce if the Chiefs have any shot at victory.
Steelers Vs Chiefs Week 7 Betting Lines
BetOnline.ag has the Chiefs favored to win this game by 2.5 points. The over/under on total points scored is 42.5 points. BetOnline is our top rated NFL sportsbook at the moment. You can read our full BetOnline review here.
My Pick
The Chiefs are a surprise favorite in this game. It’s odd that a Chiefs team at 1-5 would be the favorite over a Steelers team with a record of 4-2. The Steelers without Roethlisberger have played tremendously well. They have not skipped a beat and found a way to keep winning in his absence. This is in large part to a rejuvenated defense. The Steelers defense in week six shut down one of the league’s best offenses. Carson Palmer threw for over 400 yards but he was not able to finish drives. Against the Chiefs, the Steelers will need to force Alex Smith to throw to his outside receiver. Smith and the Chiefs passing offense have struggled going back to last season to get the receivers more involved in the passing game. That trend needs to continue this week.
The Steelers are 2-1 on the road this year with the lone loss coming back in week one to New England. Since then, the Steelers have won in St. Louis and in San Diego. Arrowhead Stadium has historically been a very difficult place to play for opposing teams. And, despite the team’s current record, come Sunday, the stadium and fans will certainly be hostile. Expect the Chiefs to get a lift from their fans and play with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. The Steelers have struggled defending taller tight-ends and Kelce is emerging as one of the better tight-ends in the league. The Steelers’ defense may struggle against Kelce but the Chiefs do not have enough weapons to beat this Steelers defense. Despite the unknown behind center on Sunday, expect the Steelers’ other skilled players to carry the offense to a victory.
Play: Steelers +2.5 @ BetOnline.ag
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