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Chiefs Opponent Preview: Get to Know the Pittsburgh Steelers

Here’s a quick guide to familiarize yourself with the Steelers

The Kansas City Chiefs (2-1), coming off perhaps their finest defensive performance since the mid-1970s, take on the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) this Sunday night on NBC's Sunday Night Football.

A true accomplishment especially given current trends in the National Football League, Mike Tomlin is just the third head coach that has been hired by the Steelers since 1969.

Over the course of his 10-year tenure as a head coach, Tomlin has a 100-58 record overall and a 3-2 record against the Chiefs.

In 2012, Tomlin hired former Chiefs head coach Todd Haley as his offensive coordinator.

Here's a look at the Steelers coaching staff:

Steelers Coaching Staff

Position

Name

Head Coach

Mike Tomlin

Offensive Coordinator

Todd Haley

Defensive Coordinator

Keith Butler

Special Teams Coordinator

Danny Smith

Familiar Faces:Haley led the Chiefs to a 19-26 regular-season record during three seasons (2009-2011) as the team's head coach. Steelers wide receivers coach Richard Mann was the wide receivers coach for Kansas City from 1999-2000. Steelers running backs coach James Saxon guided Tony Richardson, Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson to a combined seven Pro Bowl honors and five 1,000-yard rushing seasons during his seven seasons (2001-2007) as Kansas City's running backs coach. Saxon was originally a sixth-round draft pick of the Chiefs, with whom he spent four seasons (1988-1991).

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For the first time since the 2016 season began, the talented trio of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le'Veon Bell will play for the Steelers. Bell had been serving a three-game suspension for violating the NFL's drug policy.

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When he is active, Bell has been one of the league's best running backs. During 2014, his only full season since being drafted by the Steelers in 2013, Bell rushed for more than 1,300 yards in 290 attempts (4.7 y/a) and scored 11 total touchdowns.

Bell was on a similar pace last season before suffering a torn MCL in early November. Tomlin said that despite the fact that he has missed three games, Bell will see a lot of time on the field for the Steelers on Sunday.

Without him thus far, the Steelers have posted a 2-1 record this season.

Roethlisberger and Brown have connected 24 times for 305 yards and two touchdowns. De'Angelo Williams has handled the running back duties in Bell's absence, rushing for 258 yards on 66 attempts (y/a). The expectation is that Williams will remain a part of the offensive game plan despite Bell's return Sunday.

After Brown, Roethlisberger most often targets Williams (21), tight end Jesse James and receiver Eli Rodgers. Right now, it's questionable if Rodgers will play Sunday, as he left Pittsburgh's last game early due to turf toe.

Keep an eye on the left guard position for the Steelers, as starter Ramon Foster has not been practicing due to a chest injury. The second-year offensive lineman out of Kansas State, B.J. Finney, replaced Foster for most of last week's game and would be the expected replacement if Foster can't go.

Here's a look at the unofficial offensive depth chart for the Steelers:

Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Depth Chart (Unofficial)

POS

FIRST

SECOND

THIRD

THIRD

WR

Antonio Brown

Sammie Coates

Eli Rogers

LT

Alejandro Villanueva

Ryan Harris

Chris Hubbard

LG

Ramon Foster

Cody Wallace

Chris Hubbard

B.J. Finney

C

Maurkice Pouncey

Cody Wallace

B.J. Finney

RG

David DeCastro

Cody Wallace

Chris Hubbard

B.J. Finney

RT

Marcus Gilbert

Ryan Harris

Chris Hubbard

TE

Jesse James

David Johnson

Xavier Grimble

WR

Markus Wheaton

Darrius Heyward-Bey

Eli Rogers

QB

Ben Roethlisberger

Landry Jones

Zach Mettenberger

FB

Roosevelt Nix

RB

Le'Veon Bell

DeAngelo Williams

Fitzgerald Toussaint

Daryl Richardson

Here's a look at the Steelers numbers and ranks so far this season on offense:

Offense

Chiefs

Steelers

Net Yards Per Game

332.3 (23rd)

354.0 (T-21st)

Yards Per Play

5.19 (25th)

5.31 (22nd)

Points Per Game

23.0 (17th)

21.7 (19th)

Possession Average

28:02 (28th)

30:26 (15th)

Net Rushing Yards Per Game

91.3 (21st)

100.0 (18th)

Net Passing Yards Per Game

241.0 (22nd)

254.0 (14th)

Had Intercepted/Yards

1/0

4/28

Sacks Allowed/Yards

9/-63.0 (T-26th)

6/-54.0 (T-11th)

Fumbles/Lost

4/4

5/1

Third down Pct.

34.9% (23rd)

47.6% (8th)

Red Zone TD Pct.

50.0% (T-22nd)

71.4% (5th)

Giveaways

5 (T-16th)

5 (T-16th)

The Steelers defense is coming off a game in which it gave up a total of 426 total net yards, including 301 yards passing, to rookie quarterback Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles, but like the Chiefs in the case of their Week 2 matchup with the Houston Texans, one game is one game.

As far as players to watch, defensive end Cameron Heyward, who had at least seven sacks in each of the past two seasons, is still looking for his first.

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According to the Times Online, Heyward and cornerback Will Gay addressed teammates after Pittsburgh's 34-3 loss to Philadelphia last week.

"It wasn't like an organized meeting," Heyward said, per the Times. "We just talked individually to a lot of guys. The main thing was, when we look at this film, don't try to see it as someone else did the problem. You have to look in the mirror and say I didn't do enough. We didn't do our assignments as a group. We only get judged by if we play good as a defense, not one individual playing well."

So far, the Steelers defense has recorded just two interceptions and one sack through the first three games.

Linebacker Ryan Shazier, who leads the team in tackles with 12, has one of the interceptions, as does a four-time All-Pro in veteran outside linebacker James Harrison.

The Steelers defense has given up 407.3 yards per game so far for a ranking of No. 27 of 32 teams in the league.  

Here is a look at the Steelers defensive depth chart:

Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Depth Chart (Unofficial)

POS

FIRST

SECOND

THIRD

DE

Cameron Heyward

Ricardo Matthews

L.T. Walton

NT

Javon Hargrave

Daniel McCullers

DT

Stephon Tuitt

Ricardo Matthews

L.T. Walton

LOLB

Arthur Moats

Anthony Chickillo

LILB

Ryan Shazier

Tyler Matakevich

Steven Johnson

RILB

Lawrence Timmons

Vince Williams

L.J. Fort

ROLB

Jarvis Jones

James Harrison

LCB

William Gay

Justin Gilbert

Senquez Golson

RCB

Ross Cockrell

Artie Burns

SS

Robert Golden

Shamarko Thomas

Jordan Dangerfield

FS

Mike Mitchell

Sean Davis

Jordan Dangerfield

Here is a look at the Steelers numbers and ranks so far this season on defense:

Defense

Chiefs

Steelers

Net Yards Per Game

348.0 (11th)

407.3 (27th)

Yards Per Play

5.12 (11th)

6.47 (29th)

Points Per Game

16.3 (6th)

22.0 (14th)

Net Rushing Yards Per Game

123.0 (T-24th)

75.3 (4th)

Net Passing Yards Per Game

225.0 (16th)

332.0 (31st)

Intercepted by/Yards

8/102

2/0

Sacks For/Yards

3/-24 (T-28th)

1/0 (32nd)

Opponent Fumbles/Lost

3/2

4/2

Third down Pct.

40.9% (14th)

30.6% (4th)

Red Zone TD Pct.

23.1% (1st)

33.3% (5th)

Takeaways

10 (1st)

4 (T-15th)

Finally, here is a side-by-side comparison of the individual statistical leaders for both teams:

Chiefs

Steelers

Passing Yards

A. Smith

786

B. Roethlisberger

816

* *

* *

* *

* *

* *

* *

Rushing Yards

S. Ware

202

D. Williams

258

C. West

63

B. Roethlisberger

19

A. Smith

14

F. Toussaint

10

Receiving Yards

T. Kelce

197

A. Brown

305

S. Ware

185

S. Coates

203

J. Maclin

166

E. Rogers

100

Points Scored

C. Santos

27

D. Williams

18

Seven Tied

6

C. Boswell

17

A. Brown

12

Interceptions

M. Peters

4

Two Tied

1

Four Tied

1

* *

* *

* *

Sacks

Three Tied

1.0

A. Moats

1.0

Defensive Tackles

D. Johnson

27

R. Shazier

20

J. March

17

Two Tied

16

Two Tied

16

W. Gay

15

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