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Who needs to have a big impact for the Chiefs to beat the Steelers?
ED ZURGA/AP
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston celebrates a successful tackle during a game on Oct. 11.
GARY LANDERS/AF
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) leaps over a Cincinnati Bengals cornerback on Oct. 4.
SHELBY DUFOUR
@shelbsdu456
With a 1-5 record, the Kansas City Chiefs need their players to bring high performance to the field.
This upcoming Sunday, the Chiefs will play the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that has produced a powerhouse defense. The Steelers defense holds several veterans, including cornerback William Gay and linebackers James Harrison and Lawrence Timmons who have led the defensive line, as well as defensive end Cameron Heyward. Pittsburgh also added several new defensive looks that leave their opponents baffled.
Houston had a slow first three weeks, but with last week's game against Minnesota, he showed what he came to play for. Houston has four sacks for the season. This weekend, he will be up against an offensive line that has allowed 16 sacks to pass through this season.
In order for the Chiefs to fight against a tough defensive line, they too will have to show a strong defensive end. Outside linebacker Justin Houston will have a big impact on this week's game by providing a strong defense.
In the past, Houston is known for stopping the run. Last season, he accounted for 68 tackles. This season, however, he has shown to
Houston has also played well against the run. According to SB Nation, Pro Football ranked Houston as the 4th outside linebacker against the run, due to his ability to adjust to variety of plays.
perform well against the pass, demonstrated by his four sacks and accumulated hurries.
Houston has found a balance between making his
tackles and performing well in overall speed. This is a quality that not all linebackers can perfect. With this, Houston will have a grave impact on this upcoming game against the Steelers.
- Edited by Dani Malakoff
WESLEY DOTSON
@WesleyDee23
The Kansas City Chiefs have had a considerably tough start this season. Their dreadful 1-5 record has them dead last in the AFC West. Star running back Jamaal Charles is likely lost for the season with a torn ACL. Coach Andy Reid can't help but put the burden of Kansas City's struggles on himself as he tries to figure out how his team can turn its season around.
If that turnaround is going
to begin this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, it will have to be in large part due to tight end Travis Kelce and his production level.
Kelce recorded five catches for 88 yards last Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, the most yards he's had since his monster Week 1 performance of six catches for 106 yards. There is no denying he is vital to the Chiefs' success, especially with the loss of Charles.
Quarterback Alex Smith is at his best when throwing the ball between one and 20 yards; he
owns a passer rating of 93.8 in that situation. This is where a solid amount of Kelce's routes fall into and why Kelce is one of Smith's favorite targets because of Kelce's ability to out-jump defenders for balls with his 6-foot-5 frame.
The Steelers defense is not quite what is used to be when it was under former defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. Safeties Troy Palumalu and Ryan Clark and cornerback Ike Taylor, three players that were key pieces to the Pittsburgh defense over the years, have all retired. Linebacker James Harrison, now 37, is not what he used to be on the defensive line.
All of these factors play into why the Steelers defense ranks 23rd in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (376.5). Opposing quarterbacks have had success against this defense so far this season, and Smith will need to take advantage on Sunday as well.
If Smith can find a rhythm, expect Kelce to have a huge game. With Kelce's size, he's a tough cover for any defense, but he could cause even more problems for Pittsburgh.
Kelce has all the potential in the world to turn into an elite tight end. The Chiefs saw it in Week 1 when he bullied the Texans defense on his way to a 106-yard, two-touchdown performance.
If Kansas City is going to turn its season around, it will all have to start with the rising tight end Travis Kelce, who has a great chance to make a big-time impact against this struggling Steelers pass defense.
- Edited by Dani Malakoff
Football mailbag: The "real" team; chances for an upset
SHANE JACKSON @jacksonshane3
Hey, @jacksonshane3,
did the "real" #kufball
show up on Saturday?
AskShane
- Derek Skillett (@
derek_skillett) October
17, 2015
Well, it depends on what you consider the "real" team. Kansas came into Saturday as a heavy underdog and for good reason. The Jayhawks were winless and had an inexperienced defense going up against the No.2 offense in the nation.
The Jayhawks deserve a ton of credit for showing vast improvements from the game against Baylor to the game against Texas Tech. After allowing 66 points to the Bears, the Jayhawks held the Red Raiders to just 23 offensive points, 30 total. Before Saturday, Texas
Tech had averaged 53 points per game.
On the offensive side of the ball, true freshman quarterback Ryan Willis completed 35-of-50 pass attempts for 330 yards. Willis was two completions shy of a school record. Only Todd Reesing's 32-of-38 outing against Louisiana Tech was more efficient. Willis could have had an even better day had his receivers not dropped a handful of passes.
It's still early in his career,
and the interception late in the game showed that Willis has some growing up to do. But what Saturday showed is that this team is on the right track
With Willis directing this offense, the air raid could cause trouble for even the best teams. If the defense continues to grow on a weekly basis, then fans should expect to see more
games like the one Saturday.
- Sam Davis (@SamDavisKU) October 20, 2015
@jacksonshane3 Kansas made it a close one last week against Texas Tech. Will they do it again this season, against who? #KUfball
— Sam Davis (@SamDavisKU) October 20, 2015
I said at the beginning of the season, I thought the two games to keep an eye on were the Texas Tech and Kansas State games. As it got closer to the game against Texas Tech I backtracked, but this time I'm sticking with my gut.
The Wildcats come into Lawrence on Nov. 28 for a Sunflower Showdown with the lavhawks for the final game.
Bill Snyder has never lost to Kansas, so it's hard to bet the house on David Beaty's squad, which could very likely be 0-11 at the time. But given the amount of Kansas ties this
coaching staff has, the in-state rivalry might be renewed. Saturday showed that this team is going to improve. After the defense was shelled against the best offense in the country, they responded with their best performance against the second best offense in the country. Kansas State's offense is in far worse shape than Texas Tech's.
By then, Willis would have seven starts under his belt. If Willis can shred the Red Raiders defense with a 300-yard performance in just his second collegiate start, it's easy to suspect Willis could have a similar performance in the season finale.
I certainly would not predict a Kansas win, nor would I expect many people would. But I believe both the offense and defense will continue to improve from their best performance
of the season, and I think this game would mean more to Kansas, so it wouldn't shock me if the lajahwks make that game closer than expected.
@jacksonshane3 when can we realistically expect a victory?
— Kerry Kylar Gaines (@ thatskerry) October 19, 2015
Realistically, the season opener of 2016.
But let's take a trip down imaginary road for minute. The only other two teams besides Kansas that are winless during conference play are West Virginia and Kansas State. Guess who the Jayhawks get at home in the final two weeks?
I wouldn't predict a win, so don't place your bets now, but both teams are vulnerable for an upset.
First and foremost, neither
offense is as good as Texas Tech which was held to 30 points. West Virginia averages 29.3 points per game, and Kansas State 26.3. Both offenses seem less daunting than Texas Tech's 53-point-per-game average.
Second. Willis is only going to get better, which, in turn, will make this offense tougher to stop. If Kansas gets a ground attack similar to the first two weeks, when junior running back Ke'aun Kinner had a pair of 100-yard games, then this offense could become one of the best in the conference.
I'll still say realistically the season opener next year is the next program victory,but if this defense can play like it did on Saturday for the rest of the season, Kansas could very well beat both West Virginia and Kansas State.
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