Game 11 : Steelers @ Chiefs : 11.27.11 : Game Thread!

[Kipper]

[Palmetto Steel]

Steelers-Chiefs Preview
STATS LLC

Part of a tight race in the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had a week off to rest and hope a banged-up Ben Roethlisberger -- among others -- is ready for a crucial stretch run.

The Kansas City Chiefs are going to need an entire offseason to get healthy.

The Steelers don't expect Roethlisberger's broken thumb to hinder him in Sunday night's visit to Arrowhead Stadium, where the bumbling Chiefs hope Tyler Palko's first home start since taking over for the injured Matt Cassel goes much smoother than his road debut.

Pittsburgh (7-3) bounced back from the disappointment of a 23-20 loss to fellow North heavyweight Baltimore on Nov. 6 with a 24-17 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 13, putting a game's distance between itself and the division's third playoff contender.

The news wasn't all good after that victory, as the Steelers learned Roethlisberger suffered a fractured thumb on his throwing hand.

All in all, though, it appears Pittsburgh caught a break. Chicago's Jay Cutler suffered a similar but more serious injury last weekend and could miss the rest of the regular season.

Roethlisberger didn't miss a snap against the Bengals and coach Mike Tomlin expects his franchise signal-caller to be ready to go Sunday night -- even if he has to wear a splint under his glove.

"There's a pain tolerance issue," Tomlin said. "There's a comfortability issue. All of those things will be sorted out throughout the course of the week. To be honest with you, I'm not overly concerned about his ability to be effective in the midst of this."

Roethlisberger has spent much of his time in practice this week working out of shotgun and pistol formations. But he doesn't believe taking direct snaps from center Maurkice Pouncey will be an issue.

"It's definitely different," said Roethlisberger, who's thrown 13 touchdowns passes and four interceptions as Pittsburgh has won five of six. "It hurts, first off, just to grip the ball. It's something you have to get used to."

The Chiefs (4-6), meanwhile, found out after a 17-10 loss to Denver on Nov. 13 that they likely lost Cassel for the season to a significant hand injury, a fear that came to fruition Monday when they placed him on injured reserve.

He's the team's seventh player to hit IR, joining stars Jamaal Charles, Eric Berry and Tony Moeaki.

That left Palko to make his NFL starting debut later that evening in New England, and despite Kansas City carrying a 3-0 lead late into the second quarter, everything fell apart. The Patriots scored 10 points in the final 4:18 of the first half and didn't let up after the intermission en route to a 34-3 win, the Chiefs' third straight loss.

Though Kansas City's defense certainly had its struggles, Palko's three interceptions didn't help.

"This game is hard enough as it is without making mistakes," said Palko, who had thrown only 13 career passes before Monday night. "When you make mistakes it's going to show up, and show up at inopportune times."

Palko is expected to start again even after Kansas City claimed Kyle Orton off waivers Wednesday, and he might not have to worry about turning it over quite as much against the Steelers. Pittsburgh's defense has forced league lows of six total turnovers and four INTs, though two of those came in the fourth quarter at Cincinnati.

The Steelers are still waiting on the return of linebacker LaMarr Woodley, who's missed the past two games with a hamstring injury. Woodley participated in some drills early in the week but it's far from certain he'll return Sunday.

"You look at guys across the league coming back too early sometimes and next thing you know they're out 2/3 more weeks," said Woodley, who had 7 1/2 of his nine sacks in his previous four games. "I'm just trying to be smart about it."

Safety Troy Polamalu, slowed during the bye week with rib discomfort, is expected to play.

While Pittsburgh has had trouble creating turnovers, Kansas City's had issues getting to the quarterback despite the presence of Tamba Hali. The Chiefs have a league-low 12 sacks, even with three of Tom Brady on Monday night.

To have a chance at knocking off the Steelers, they'll likely need to pressure Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh is 12-8 since 2008 when it allows four sacks or more but 28-10 when it surrenders three or fewer.

With Roethlisberger hurting, the Steelers may prefer to make Rashard Mendenhall the focus of the offense. The Chiefs have allowed an average of 153.0 yards rushing in their past five games, fourth-worst in the NFL.

Pittsburgh has won its last three games coming out of a bye by an average of 21.3 points.

Eight of the last nine regular-season meetings in this series have taken place at Arrowhead. Each team has won four of those, with the Steelers outscoring Kansas City 157-156.

[Palmetto Steel]

Key matchups

PALKO vs. STEELERS DEFENSE

Last week when he started a game for the first time since 2006 when he played at Pitt, Tyler Palko had the daunting challenge of facing the mighty Patriots on their home turf. Tonight, it gets even more difficult for Palko as he faces the Steelers and their second-ranked defense.

“I’d imagine that every player that plays that position in this league has a gory story about how it started for them. That’s just the nature of this game at that position,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

Well, not every young NFL quarterback has “gory” memories of his first start. Ben Roethlisberger, for example, led the Steelers to a 13-3 win over the Dolphins in rain-soaked Miami in September of 2004. But Tomlin’s point is well taken. For most QBs, that first start can be intimidating.

Palko, a graduate of West Allegheny High School where his dad Bob coaches the football team, hopes to avoid another gory experience. He had some moments in the Chiefs’ 34-3 loss to the Patriots when he replaced injured starter Matt Cassel. He completed 25 of 38 throws for 236 yards but was sacked three times and threw three interceptions.

“I think I will feel a little bit more comfortable this week, but I can’t answer that question, obviously until after the game,” said Palko, 28. “All in all, last week I felt pretty comfortable in the pocket. It was just a couple of plays that I would like to have back.”

It would behoove Palko to play well against the Steelers. On Wednesday, the Chiefs signed veteran Kyle Orton after he was cut by the Denver Broncos. By no means is Orton an upper echelon QB. His record as a starter is only 32-34. But he does have 66 starts, which is 65 more than Palko.

“I’m fired up,” Palko said. “It was fun growing up in Pittsburgh, seeing the Steelers, the black and gold, understanding the tradition. It’s exciting and I’m looking forward to it.”

HALI vs. STARKS

When a team has a franchise quarterback, protecting him is paramount. That will be especially true for the Steelers now that Ben Roethlisberger, who’s been sacked a league-high 31 times, is playing with a broken thumb on his right throwing hand.

For the time being, Roethlisberger will play with a protective splint on his injured thumb. He’s going to experience some pain and discomfort. But the goal now is to make sure the injury doesn’t get worse. The Steelers feel so fortunate that Roethlisberger’s injury wasn’t as severe as the broken thumb that ended the season for Bears QB Jay Cutler last week.

So with the Steelers wanting to keep Roethlisberger and his sore thumb out of harm’s way, there’s added significance to Max Stark’s assignment. As the Steelers’ left tackle, he’ll line up most of tonight’s game across from Tamba Hali, the Chiefs’ right outside linebacker. The Chiefs rank last in the NFL with only 12 sacks but Hali, the former Penn State star, has seven of them.

The Chiefs’ first-round pick in 2006, Hali ranked second in the league last year with 14.5 and has 48.5 for his career.

“As a pass rusher, I watch every pass rusher,” Miami defensive end Jason Taylor told kcchiefs.com three weeks ago before the Dolphins beat the Chiefs. “You learn from everybody a little bit, but I watch guys more as a fan and admire the work they do and the way they do it. It’s like a work of art to watch a good pass rusher do his thing. Tamba is definitely one of the tops in this league. Coming from a guy who used to do it pretty well, he’s in the top-five for sure.”

Taylor, a former WPIAL star who attended Woodland Hills High School, does know a thing or two about sacking QBs. He’s eighth on the NFL’s all-time sack list with 136.5.

[Palmetto Steel]

2011 Trends (Regular Season)

The Steelers are 5-5 ATS.

The Steelers are 2-3 ATS away.

The Steelers are 4-3 ATS as the favorite.

The Steelers are 2-1 ATS as an away favorite.

The Chiefs are 5-5 ATS.

The Chiefs are 2-3 ATS at home.

The Chiefs are 5-2 ATS as the underdog.

The Chiefs are 2-0 ATS as a home underdog.

[Palmetto Steel]

Injuries


Pittsburgh

Player		Status/Updated	Notes
Ben Roethlisberger	QB	Prob Sun - Thumb - 11/21/11	Roethlisberger suffered a broken right thumb in Week 10 game against the Bengals but is fully expected to play in Sunday's game against the Chiefs.
Arnaz Battle	WR	Prob Sun - Hamstring - 11/25/11	Battle was forced to leave the game in Week 9 against the Ravens due to a minor hamstring injury and was inactive in Week 10 against the Bengals. He is expected to be ready for Sunday's game against the Chiefs.
Emmanuel Sanders	WR	Prob Sun - Knee - 11/24/11	Sanders underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on November 7th to repair his meniscus and is expected to return for Sunday's game against the Chiefs.
Stevenson Sylvester	LB	Ques Sun - Calf - 11/25/11	Sylvester missed practice Thursday with a calf injury and remains questionable to play Sunday against the Chiefs.
Chris Hoke	NT	Ques Sun - Neck - 11/21/11	Hoke has not played since suffering a stinger in Week 6 against the Jaguars. He remains questionable for Sunday's game against the Chiefs.
LaMarr Woodley	LB	Doub Sun - Hamstring - 11/25/11	Woodley has missed the last two games after sustaining a hamstring injury in Week 8 against the Patriots. He is not expected to play in Sunday's game against the Chiefs.
Daniel Sepulveda	P	I-R - Knee - 11/6/11	Sepulveda has been placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury and will miss the remainder of the season as a result.

Kansas City

Player		Status/Updated	Notes
Jon McGraw	S	Ques Sun - Shoulder - 11/22/11	McGraw missed Week 11 against the Patriots due to a shoulder injury and remains questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers.
Glenn Dorsey	DE	Ques Sun - Ankle - 11/22/11	Dorsey missed Week 11 against the Patriots after suffering an ankle injury in Week 10 against the Broncos. He remains questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers.
Demorrio Williams	LB	Ques Sun - Groin - 11/22/11	Williams missed the last two games due to a groin injury and remains questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers.
Ryan Lilja	G	Doub Sun - Head - 11/24/11	Lilja left the game against the Patriots in Week 11 with a head injury and is expected to miss Sunday's game against the Steelers.
Matt Cassel	QB	I-R - Hand - 11/27/11	Cassel has been placed on the injured reserve with a broken throwing hand and will miss the remainder of the season as a result. He suffered the injury in Week 10 against the Broncos and underwent surgery in an attempt to repair it.

[Palmetto Steel]

Man, I'm sitting here watching Cleveland taking it to the Bengals...

... Absolutely great entertainment for a person who absolutely hates Cincinnati....

[Steelreign]

I'm stuck watching the Bills-Jets. I was wanting to watch Houston-Jax but at least I get to watch the Steelers tonight.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[BlackNGoldRules]

Man, I'm sitting here watching Cleveland taking it to the Bengals...

... Absolutely great entertainment for a person who absolutely hates Cincinnati....

Why on earth do you hate Cincinnati? It's a great city full of great people! Especially the women!

[Palmetto Steel]

Why on earth do you hate Cincinnati? It's a great city full of great people! Especially the women!

... I'll assume that you know all about my sorted past, and leave it at that....

... BTW, did you get the PM I sent you about a week or so ago?...

[Palmetto Steel]

Ugh!.... The freakin' Bengals pulled-out a win....

... Decided to tune-in to the Raiders/Bears game just to see what Carson Palmer can do against a decent defense...

Got food going on the grill.... Steaks and veggies... Pics to follow....

[Beezy]

Go Steelers! Making crab cakes with lemon aioli and a bottle of cuvée van de keizer blauw by golden carolus.

[Palmetto Steel]

Making crab cakes with lemon aioli and a bottle of cuvée van de keizer blauw by golden carolus.

Well ****!... You're doin' seafood while I'm doin' beef... That's a twist....

... You got my mouth watering with the crabcakes... Post a pic in the "Cookin' thread" when they are finished.... You KNOW how I love me some seafood!...

Here's my Sunday football meal... Japanese-marinated steak with zuchini & shrooms on the side... More pics over in the "Cookin' thread"....

[Beezy]

Heh if it turns out ok. I haven't mad this very many times. The crab meat looks really good this time tho.

[Palmetto Steel]

Tick... Tock...

****, it seems like a long time since the last Steelers game.... Waiting till 8pm makes it even worse...

[Kipper]

I could take a nap Just finiished putting the rest of the christmas decoration totes and **** away... now im just flat out exhausted and ****ed... since my GFCI plug outside decided to start kicking off for no good reason with it raining right now. Stupid thing has NEVER kicked off through far worse rain and snow storms. Spent all Friday decorating the outside and nothing is on tonight