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The Pittsburgh Steelers had everything go right for them in Week 18, allowing them to sneak in the 2022 NFL Playoffs. The Steelers' next game will be at Arrowhead Stadium, where they will be taking on the Kansas City Chiefs. With Pittsburgh needing a much better performance this time around against the Chiefs after the Week 16 debacle, it's time to examine an X-Factor for this playoff game.
There are certainly several quality candidates on the offensive side of the ball, such as Najee Harris, veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, or wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
For more insight on the Steelers' Wild Card playoff matchup against the Chiefs, listen below:
That being said, the X-Factor for the Steelers this week against the Chiefs will come on the defensive side of the ball.
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Steelers X-Factor vs. Chiefs in 2022 NFL Playoffs
Led by Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City has an elite offense that is capable of hanging 50 points on anybody. That is why the X-Factor for the Steelers will have to come from the defensive unit, as Pittsburgh will need to find a way to slow down Mahomes and company in order to win this game. Hence, Defensive Player of the Year candidate T.J. Watt is the X-Factor this week for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Watt tied and arguably should have broken the NFL all-time single-season sack record last week against the Baltimore Ravens. The star pass rusher need to have an excellent game if Pittsburgh wants to disrupt Mahomes and the rest of the Kansas City offense. While the Steelers will need to put points on the board, they simply will not win in a shootout with the Chiefs. Led by Mahomes, Kansas City has an offense that is too explosive for the Steelers to keep up.
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At this stage in his career, Ben Roethlisberger and company are better suited for hanging around, keeping a game close and then winning a game on the final drive, as opposed to getting dragged into an all-out shootout where the game gets into the 30s or 40s. Pittsburgh's offense at this stage of Roethlisberger's career simply is too inconsistent to put up those types of numbers.
The best way for Pittsburgh to win this game is to keep Kansas City under 27 points, and ideally under 21 points. This will give the Steelers' offense a chance to keep up, and Ben has proven that he has what it takes to deliver magic during game-winning drives. If the Steelers find themselves in a situation where Big Ben needs to drive his team down the field for a field goal to tie or win the game, I like their chances.
Watt’s ability to get to the quarterback can kill drives before they even have a chance to begin, but the good news is that he can be effective even without getting sacks. The Steelers star is near the top of the league in pass breakups, QB pressures and tackles for loss. He also has a knack for forcing fumbles. If Pittsburgh wants to have a realistic shot at winning this game, a defensive score is likely paramount.
Watt can help with this in a multitude of ways. Putting pressure on the QB may force an errant throw that gets picked off and returned for a touchdown, or he might come away with a strip sack that leads to a scoop and score for the Steelers. Either of these scenarios would give a huge boost to Pittsburgh's chances of pulling off the upset.
That is why T.J. Watt earns the X-Factor nomination this week against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022 NFL Playoffs.
