Know Thy Enemy: Steelers vs Chiefs
Every week, I will be contacting the editor of the FanSided team blog the Steelers are playing that Sunday. This week I wrote five questions to Patrick Allen, editor of the Chiefs blog Arrowhead Addict. Check out what he has to say after the jump, and be sure to visit his site and let him know what you think about what he has to say.
1) Cassel is out, Palko is not any help, so the Chiefs picked up Orton. What are your thoughts on that? Do you really think he can contribute after having a dismal season thus far – or is Tebow mania mainly to blame for that?
"I think the Chiefs did the right thing by picking up Orton. It was clear from watching Palko play that he is a pretty smart QB but that he lacks the physical tools to really make it in the NFL. Why the Chiefs left him on the roster so long I will never understand.The Chiefs are currently two games behind the Oakland Raiders for the division lead. They have beaten the Raiders once this season and play them one more time so this is a gap that can be closed rather quickly. The acquisition of Orton give the Chiefs their best chance of doing that.That being said, it isn’t going to happen. The schedule is too brutal and Orton is arriving too late. KC likely has no chance vs. the Steelers tonight and another loss will likely put them too far behind to catch up. But they had to try. Credit to the Chiefs brass for keeping at it until they are eliminated."
2) I’ve seen you call out Haley a ton this season? What’s his problem?
"I like Haley but I don’t think he knows who he is as a coach. He employed a really stupid “slow” approach to the preseason and the result of that was a team that simply wasn’t ready to play ball. He seems to change philosophies rather quickly. Last year he was going for it all the time on 4th down, siting some statistics that said the strategy would work out for the aggressor more often than not. Then, this year, that seems to all be out the window.It may be I’ve been too tough on Haley at times. This is is first head coaching job and there are a lot of things I admire about someone who can admit they’ve made mistakes and will changes to try to correct those mistakes. Haley seems to be a little all over the place though.I think he has to win a few down the stretch here to save his job."
3) What are your impressions of Jonathan Baldwin thus far?
"Baldwin has a ton of talent. Even though he missed the first half of the season I’ve been able to see flashes of what he could develop into. He made a great deep grab for a TD to help the Chiefs beat the Chargers and made a circus catch vs. the Broncos that was called back due to a penalty. (He literally blindly caught a deep ball behind the CB’s back while basically in a bear hug. Google it. It’s bananas."
4) What is the main matchup the Steelers should be prepping for Sunday?
"The Chiefs have lost a lot of their playmakers but they still have some dangerous talent on the defensive side of the ball. If I am Mike Tomlin, I’m concerned with shutting down OLB Tamba Hali. With Ben liking to stay in the pocket Hali could sneak up on him and bat the ball lose. He is definitely the biggest threat the Chiefs have left that could cause a major momentum swing."
5) Do you think the Chiefs should be worried about a return of the Harrison/Woodley duo?
"I think the Chiefs should be worried period. Especially now because they are entering the territory where some players might start giving up and turning their attention to their offseason vacation destination. KC had trouble scoring points against even the soft Patriots defense so I shudder to think about how bad things might get against a premier unit like the Steelers."
Bonus: Predictions?
"No chance for the Chiefs here. When your QB and HB are named Tyler Palko and Jackie Battle…and you are playing the Steelers…well…you’re screwed.Pittsburgh 33, Kansas City 3"