If you are looking for the Steelers-Chiefs game on a few gambling sites, you may not see it.

That’s because some outlets, such as BetRivers, have it removed for now because of the coronavirus situation hanging over the Kansas City locker room.

As of Tuesday afternoon, tight end Travis Kelce and fellow 2020 All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill were on the reserve/covid-19 list. With the status of both players in doubt, some gambling houses were understandably wary of keeping the Chiefs’ minus 9.5-point spread in play.

If Kelce and Hill don’t dress, the Steelers’ chances of winning (or at least covering the spread) dramatically increase. Hence, the decision to postpone taking bets on the action for now.

Those are two great players. They are particularly excellent when it comes to running after the catch. According to NBCSports.com, Kelce has 543 yards after the catch. That’s tops in the AFC. Hill has 398, sixth in the conference. Steelers Diontae Johnson (460) and Najee Harris (441) are third and fourth respectively.

“Travis Kelce is the best in the business. The reason he’s the best in the business is he is unquestionably the best in the business at run-after,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “They can beat you over the top with Tyreek Hill, and he creates unbelievable issues down the field from a match-up standpoint. But he’s also dangerous run-after.”

With the ability of those two elite pass catchers to turn short passes into big gains, the Steelers tacklers on defense need to be on their details. That’s something that has often not been the case in 2021. Steelers tackling hasn’t been good for much of this year.

If you need examples, put on the game tape against the Seattle Seahawks. Or the Detroit Lions. Or the Minnesota Vikings. Or even early in the game against the Tennessee Titans.

But most of those examples relate to issues trying to drag running backs to the turf in the ground game. Securing tackles on the likes of Hill and Kelce in the open field after pass receptions are a different challenge.

As the game moved along against the Titans last week, the tackling actually got better. Especially from players in the secondary. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick had 12 solo tackles, and cornerback Joe Haden made the play of the game with a drive-stopping tackle on Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2021

That said, Tomlin knows facing the Chiefs is a more complicated assignment.

“These guys are unique,” Tomlin said. “To compare them to others from a run-after standpoint is not something realistic. I’m not going to seek comfort in past performances based on that perspective. Kelce is the best in the world at the tight end position. They’ve got guys like Hill and (Mecole) Hardman who are 4.2 and 4.3 in the 40. If they get space, they’re dangerous people. We’re going to be challenged in ways maybe that we haven’t in that regard. Forget how we’ve performed. We’d better be at our best in terms of tackling the catch and minimizing that component of their arsenal.”

Fitzpatrick says the key for the Steelers will be attacking the receivers with a pack mentality immediately after they secure the catch.

“We’ve got to do a good job getting to the ball. Flying to the ball,” Fitzpatrick said Monday. “We are practicing that this week. Even after the first guy gets there. We need two other guys getting there as well. Tagging up on the ball carrier. We are going to emphasize that this week. Swarming to the ball.”

I’m sure that just about every team comes into just about every game against the Chiefs saying exactly the same thing.

As Kansas City’s current seven-game win streak suggests, that’s easier said than done. And as some of the Steelers’ defensive efforts have proven this year, it’s easier said than done on that front as well.

Because if Kelce and Hill do play, the Steelers better practice what Fitzpatrick is preaching. Otherwise, that suspended point spread may seem laughably small once we look at the final box score.

For Wednesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast, Tim Benz checks in with Soren Petro of Sports Radio 810 (WHB) in Kansas City. They discuss how the Chiefs have rediscovered their groove in the second half of the season and how Melvin Ingram III is doing in K.C. Plus, they try to surf through the Chiefs’ covid-19 issues.

Listen: Tim Benz and Soren Petro talk Kansas City Chiefs and how they’ve found their second-half groove

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)