NFL Breakdown - Steelers Defense vs Chiefs Offense

The Steelers D Needs to Stack the Run vs
the Chiefs to Make them 1 Dimensional

I realize that I wrote a post earlier this week about how the Steelers' defense was good, but not NASTY yet.  Trust me, I think the Steelers defense is extremely solid, but they lack those "splash plays" that Mike Tomlin always refers to in his pressers.  They just don't have the intimidating look about them, but as we have seen with the offense, that can change in one game....and this might be the perfect matchup for the Steelers to get that swagger back.  The Chiefs are the magic elixir...hopefully.  Here are the top 5 storylines as the Steelers D prepares for the Chiefs offense.

- Force The Chiefs To Be 1 Dimensional -  This is a matchup that the Steelers defense would salivate over the past few years.  With the Steelers ability to shut down the opponents run game, they would force an inexperienced QB like Matt Cassel into mistake, after mistake, after mistake.  However, this Steelers defense isn't as stingy in stopping the run as in year's past, but they seem to be improving every week.  If they want to extend their winning streak, and improve on their NFL rank of #7 in terms of rush defense (allowing an average of 88.6 yds/gm), they will need to shut down Jamaal Charles and the Chief's running game.  If they do that, and force Matt Cassel into obvious passing downs...good things will happen.

- Get to the QB - If the Steelers are successful at stopping the Chiefs running game, the next best thing they can do is pin their ears back and get after the QB.  Blitzing is useless unless you either sack the QB, or make the QB make a mistake (throwing an INT or forcing a fumble).  The Steelers have been improving their ability to get to the QB throughout this winning streak, but it hasn't been like the Steelers of old.  Its hard not to compare every Steelers Defense to the Blitzburgh teams of the past, but this team needs to get to the QB in a bad way on Monday Night Football.  All the Steelers have to do is look back at the last time they played Matt Cassel when he was with the New England Patriots.  The Steelers left the QB beaten and battered as they mopped up the Patriots in New England.  Its time to do that again to Mr. Cassel, except with the Chiefs and at the Big Ketchup Bottle on MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL!

- Force some Turnovers - No team in the NFL has turned the ball over more than the Chiefs.  They are -29 in the turnover ratio, and if the Steelers can't force a few from them then there might be something to this growing concern over the Steelers inability to creat turnovers.  You watch teams like the Chicago Bears who have returned more turnovers for TDs than the Miami Dolphins have thrown TD passes, and you wonder to yourself - The Steelers D is just as talented, but why can't they create turnovers?  If they are able to stop the run and get to the QB (like I just said above) I feel the turnovers are going to come to the Black n' Gold.  Whether Ike "stone hands" Taylor can catch the football is a completely different topic all together...maybe he and Mike Wallace should hit the jugs machine after practice a little more.

- Use The Chiefs Game As A Stepping Stone To The Ravens Game - Everyone knows what lies ahead for the Steelers after this Monday Night matchup.  The Ravens know it, the Steelers know it, and the NFL knows it.  There is nothing more important than confidence when it comes to competing in the NFL.  The Ravens confidence is shaky at best, but the Steelers are flying high on their 3 game winning streak.  I'm not suggesting they might lose this game, but that they need to win convincingly so that they can prove they are still improving and "peaking" at the right time of the season. 

- Penalty Free Football - Another growing trend, along with the lack of turnovers, have been some of the penalties the defense has collected the past few games (especially in the secondary).  Anyone who watched the game vs the Giants will obviously see that one of their game plans was to go deep often in hopes of a big play, or to draw pass interference.  Keenan Lewis got caught a few times, but all in all it wasn't a bad game.  Sure the officials were horrible in calling the Ryan Clark "hit to the head" that caused Victor Cruz to sit out a few plays with hurt ribs, but its those penalties that can keep drives alive for teams, and could ultimately lead to points.  Limit the infractions, and you increase the Steelers chances of victory.