Steelers at Chiefs - Week 11 - Record: 3-7

I don't think there is any question this win was one of the greatest regular season wins in Chiefs history. We've been so bad, and yet today we defeated the world champs with a new GM and coach working their asses off to get us back into NFL contention. No question. This one means a lot no matter what has happened or will happen.

Thing is, this one had connections with a whole lot of other Chiefs-Steelers games. Here we go...

Old game: 1986, last regular season game. Remember that one? The Chiefs take on the Steelers at home and get into the playoffs for the first time in 15 years on the strength of three fabulous special teams touchdowns.

This game: Jamaal Charles opens the affair with a spectacular kick-off return for touchdown, and Ryan Succop wins it with an overtime field goal. Our punter Dustin Colquitt has been fantastic and our kick coverage has been stifling. Our special teams does it again to Pittsburgh.

Old game: 1993, first playoff game. Remember that one? Again at home against the Steelers, we're down 24-17 late when Joe Montana hits Tim Barnett in the back of the endzone to send the game into OT when Nick Lowery ends it with a field goal. 27-24 final in OT.

This game: Was this a carbon copy of that game or what? Down 24-17 late, Matt Cassell hits Jamaal Charles swirling out of the backfield to tie, then OT, then the game-winning FG. 27-24 final in OT.

Old game: 2006, middle of regular season, we play the then also world champ Steelers in Pittsburgh. We get slaughtered. I don't even think we moved the ball a yard, and when they got it they scored a touchdown instantly. It was embarrassing.

This game: Let's face it, the Steelers still outplayed us up and down the yard. Their running game was way better, their passing game was way better, their defense was way better. But then...

Old game: 2009 Super Bowl, Pittsburgh vs. Arizona. Sure it wasn't the Chiefs, but remember, the Cardinals offensive coordinator for that game was Todd Haley. He made the Pittsburgh defense look silly, and Arizona should have won the game except for that very last play of the first half. Remember it? Kurt Warner throws a very ill-advised pass at the Pittsburgh one yard line that is intercepted and run all the way back for a touchdown. Instant 14 point swing. That really meant the game right there.

This game: The Steelers are up 17-14 and threatening again when Ben Roethlisberger was pressured and threw a pass right into the hands of Andy Studebaker, who ran like no linebacker I've ever seen zooming right down the field only to be grabbed from behind all the way down at the Pittsburgh seven. We kick a tying field goal--bam, instant 10 point swing. That was the difference in this game, taking advantage of the few big plays just like Pittsburgh did against Arizona and against Seattle in their '05 Super Bowl win as well. Ahh, turned the tables on those guys--very nice.

Old game: Any 2000's playoff game between the Patriots and Steelers. Scott Pioli was working for the Patriots front office helping build their team.

This game: Now Pioli is with the Chiefs and doing all he can to put guys who can play out on the field. His grade so far is an A+. Sure a lot of these guys are picked off the reject pile, but he's done phenomenally so far. Think of Chris Chambers for one. Remember when this guy was a stud for Miami? Now he's magically on our team and he came up with two utterly clutch catches yesterday, the latter one being all him snagging Cassel's short pass and streaking well into field goal range in OT.

I caught this interesting fact during the game. It testifies to why the Steelers are world champs and the Chiefs are struggling. The Chiefs have no one on their roster from the 01-04 drafts. No one. The Steelers have seven. The reason this is an encouraging stat is that we no longer have Carl Peterson mailing it in, we have Scott Pioli working diligently to make sure we've got the best team we can get. Right now just starting out that means finding small gems in a mountain range of shale. The Chris Chambers, the Andy Studebakers.

I can't wait until he starts finding them in the draft.

Yeah, yeah, I'm excited right now. I still do know we gave up five sacks, I still do know we let Roethlisberger pick us apart all afternoon, yeah yeah. Same ol' same ol.'

But today we played with heart and desire and steeled (or I should say chiefed) determination. We were down any number of times but we got back up and got the clutch big play. (Oh I can't neglect to say how fun it was to watch Derrick Johnson sack Roethlisberger and a lineman together in one tackle--how great was that!)

Everyone on the team was playing like a winner no matter what. It's there, it was so great to see--it's there. Next up is just putting it with the talent.

Very sweet.
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