Monday Night Football- Chiefs vs Steelers Preview

Ben Roethlisberger

After last night’s exciting action, Week 10 concludes tonight with an AFC clash as the Kansas City Chiefs travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers.

The game will be live on ESPN in America and on the BBC Red Button in Ireland.

Now without further ado, here is a full preview of Monday Night Football Week 10.

Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers

Matt Cassel

Stadium– Heinz Field

Kick Off- 8:30 p.m. in Pittsburgh/1:30 a.m. in Ireland

What to Watch

Antonio Brown

Chiefs Rushing Attack vs Steelers Run Defense

• For all of the Chiefs struggles this season, they are still one of the best teams in the league on the ground led by star running back Jamaal Charles. The Chiefs are currently the third best team in the NFL in rushing yards per game with Charles on pace for  another 1,000 yard year.
• The Chiefs will definitely look to run the ball often tonight. Although they are strong vs the pass, they aren’t as dominant against the run currently giving up nearly ninety yards a game.

Matt Cassel vs Steelers Pass Defense

• Matt Cassel may be running out of time to keep his job as the Chiefs starting quarterback. With Brady Quinn ruled out with a concussion, Cassel is forced to lead his team on the road against the best defense in the league vs the pass.
• With wide receiver Dwayne Bowe the only reliable target for Cassel through the air, he is in for a tough night at Heinz Field. If he get’s hurt, second-year player Ricky Stanzi will be called on to serve as backup.

Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers Passing Game

• In stark contrast to the Chiefs passing game, Big Ben and the Steelers aerial attack has been highly impressive this year. Ranked tenth in the league in passing yards per game, it seems as though Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and co. have found a successful formula.
• This will be a crucial battle to watch tonight. The Chiefs defense is a much better unit vs the pass than they are on the ground and we will find out a lot about their young players against the Steelers.

Who to Watch

Jamaal Charles

Jamaal Charles- Running Back- Chiefs

• As mentioned earlier, Jamaal Charles has been one of the few bright spots for the Chiefs in 2012 and is leading the team in rushing with 634 yards. Charles hasn’t been as effective in recent weeks however after seeing just 27 carries in his last three games.
• Now back healthy, he has showed some signs of returning to his best form. Look for the Chiefs to lean heavily on Charles in the run game tonight especially with their current quarterback issues.

Ben Roethlisberger- Quarterback- Steelers

• Ben Roethlisberger has been terrific for the Steelers again this year and is on pace for the first back-to-back 4,000 yard passing seasons of his career. He has also done a much better job of protecting the football in recent weeks with a pass completion rate of over 70% in each of his last three games.
• Of course, it does help when you’ve got players like Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders to throw to. Look for Big Ben to target this young wide receiving trio again tonight.

LaMarr Woodley- Outside Linebacker- Steelers

• LaMarr Woodley was once a promising young player for the Steelers defense who looked like a capable pass rusher for years to come. Now 28-years-old, Woodley has seen his production slide over the past few seasons with his sack totals declining ever season since 2009.
• Through seven games in 2012 he has registered only three sacks and doesn’t look to have the speed or power he once had. This is a big game for him tonight against a solid Chiefs offensive line.

Prediction

Ben Roethlisberger

This game features two teams on the opposite side of the form guide with the Steelers chasing the Playoffs and the Chiefs in the hunt to receive the first overall pick in the 2013 Draft.

Typically in these type of games, it’s the team that still has something to play for that comes out on top and so I see no reason to go against picking the Steelers here.

Chiefs 9 Steelers 23

So that’s your preview and prediction, hope everyone enjoys the game.

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