Patrick Mahomes was thrilled when he saw that his Kansas City Chiefs would be playing on Christmas Day for the second year in a row upon the release of the NFL schedule. However, his excitement was short-lived when he realized the game was scheduled for a Wednesday, as he mentioned on Monday. Both teams, the Chiefs with a record of 14-1 and the Steelers at 10-5, will be taking the field for the third time in 11 days when they face off on Wednesday. Despite feeling the physical toll of the short week, Mahomes emphasized the importance of not making excuses and giving their all on the field. A win for Kansas City would secure them the top seed and home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs. The Chiefs have secured 14 victories for the third time in five seasons but have never reached 15 wins in a single season. On the other side, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is determined to bounce back from his mistakes in the previous game and is focused on leading his team to victory. Pittsburgh can still win their division if they win their final two regular-season games. Both teams have players dealing with injuries, with key players potentially returning to action for the crucial matchup.
The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a disappointing 20-14 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day last season. Despite this setback, the Chiefs have emerged victorious in their last three encounters with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Among these wins was a dominant 42-21 triumph in an AFC wild-card game on January 16, 2022.
