By Will Graves AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH — Mike Tomlin wasn’t in the mood to get into a semantic argument. Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs have played a ton of close games this season. Yet the idea that two-time defending Super Bowl champions are somehow more gettable than they’ve been? That’s a nonstarter for the longtime Pittsburgh Steelers coach.
“I guess I don’t know how dominant they need to be,” Tomlin said. “I mean, they’re 14-1.” Even during a season in which the Chiefs often have looked ordinary as much as they’ve looked extraordinary, a victory in either of their final two games would assure them of home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs in their bid to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to win three straight titles.
They’ll get their first crack on Christmas Day in Pittsburgh. Playing on a holiday is hardly new for Kansas City. Doing it in the middle of the week though? “It was definitely exciting until I realized it was on Wednesday,” Mahomes said with a laugh.
Oh, and on a streaming platform, too. The meeting marks the end of a brutal stretch for both teams that required them to play three times in 11 days. The good news? After being on Netflix, they’ll get to relax.
How restful each team’s break will be, however, likely depends on the outcome. With a Chiefs victory, Mahomes and his creaky ankle and most of their other regulars might get two-plus weeks off ahead of the divisional round. The Steelers (10-5) don’t .
