PITTSBURGH — Patrick Mahomes handed for 320 yards and three touchdowns and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs locked up the highest seed within the AFC for the fourth time in seven seasons with a 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday.
The 2-time defending Tremendous Bowl champions raced to an early 13-point lead and have been by no means actually threatened by the Steelers (10-6), who’ve dropped three straight as their probabilities of capturing the AFC North took one other hit.
Mahomes linked on first-half scoring tosses to Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson and Kansas Metropolis’s protection did many of the relaxation even with perennial All-Professional defensive finish Chris Jones sitting out whereas nursing a calf harm. The Chiefs sacked Russell Wilson 5 occasions, compelled two turnovers and hardly seemed gassed whereas taking part in for the third time in 11 days.
Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 84 yards whereas changing into the third tight finish in NFL historical past to succeed in 1,000 receptions, becoming a member of Corridor of Famer Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten. Kelce sealed Kansas Metropolis’s fifth straight victory with a 12-yard landing seize early within the fourth quarter.
The 35-year-old celebrated by dunking the ball over the objective put up, which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and groans from a capability crowd at Acrisure Stadium that has grown used to seeing Mahomes toy with the hometown crew. Mahomes is now 4-0 in opposition to the Steelers in his profession, with 17 touchdowns in opposition to one interception.
Russell Wilson threw for 205 yards for Pittsburgh. George Pickens completed with three receptions for 50 yards after lacking three video games with a hamstring harm. It wasn’t practically sufficient for the Steelers, who went 0-3 throughout a brutal three-game stretch in opposition to Tremendous Bowl contenders Philadelphia, Baltimore and Kansas Metropolis.
Maybe extra troubling than the losses is the best way they performed out. The Steelers misplaced every sport not less than 14 factors and will begin the playoffs on the highway after taking part in fast-and-loose with the two-game division lead they’d simply three weeks in the past.
Mahomes, hardly bothered by the ankle harm he suffered in opposition to Cleveland, led the Chiefs to touchdowns on their first two drives, discovering Worthy within the flat for a 7-yard rating and hitting Watson within the again nook of the tip zone to make it 13-0.
One sequence late within the first quarter symbolized a irritating day for Pittsburgh. A holding penalty negated a brief landing run by Jaylen Warren and Wilson threw into triple protection ultimately zone on the following snap. Kansas Metropolis’s Justin Reid had little bother grabbing it to finish the risk.
The Steelers drew inside six twice at 13-7 and 16-10, however by no means had the ball with an opportunity to take the lead within the second half. As an alternative, the Chiefs — who spent many of the first three months of the season squeaking by most weeks — methodically pulled away.
Kareem Hunt ran over from 2 yards on the primary snap of the fourth quarter to make it 22-10. Pat Freiermuth then fumbled on Pittsburgh’s subsequent possession. Kansas Metropolis linebacker Nick Bolton fell on it and Mahomes wanted simply 4 performs to drift a move to a wide-open Kelce to place it out of attain.
