Boswell’s six field goals send Pittsburgh to AFC title game
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell (26) runs up field during the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell (9) celebrates with teammates after kicking a 22-yard field goal during the first half of Sunday night’s game.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Steelers had no issues scoring touchdowns in their previous meeting with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this season, getting into the end zone six times in a 43-14 rout.
This time, they relied on the legs of Chris Boswell and Le’Veon Bell.
Bosworth kicked an NFL postseason-record six field goals and Bell reset his own team postseason record – set last week – with 170 rushing yards as the Steelers advanced to the AFC Championship with an 18-16 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday night.
The win sends the Steelers to New England Sunday for a showdown with the Patriots for a chance to advance to the Super Bowl.
“It should be fun,” said Bell, who broke his own record of 167 rushing yards set last week against Miami. “It’s definitely going to be a showdown playing against New England. It will be another hostile environment, going against Tom Brady, one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.”
While the Steelers rolled up plenty of yardage, outgaining Kansas City, 389-227, they continually stalled when they got into Chiefs’ territory.
That allowed Kansas City to hang around, despite doing little after scoring on its opening drive until the Chiefs mounted one late in the fourth quarter with the Steelers leading 18-10.
Kansas City converted a fourth down play then Steelers safety Sean Davis was penalized for a hit to a defenseless receiver for a shot to Chris Conley on third down at the goal line.
That gave the Chiefs a first down at the Pittsburgh 12 with 4:47 remaining in the game.
Davis immediately went to talk to head coach Mike Tomlin.
“I just wanted to talk to that man just to clear things up,” Davis said. “I told him it was my fault. I didn’t mean to hit him in his head. He said, ‘Don’t worry about it. You got the ball out. Let’s fight again.'”
Davis was then injured on the next play, taking a shot to the back from Ryan Shazier while tackling running back Charcandrick West after a six-yard pass.
The Steelers snuffed out an inside pass to tight end Travis Kelce for a two-yard gain on second down and Alex Smith threw incomplete on third down to set up fourth-and-2 from the 6 with 3:29 remaining in the game.
The Chiefs picked that up on a short pass to fullback Anthony Sherman and then scored on the next play on a run by Spencer Ware with 2:43 left.
Kansas City converted a two-point conversion try but left tackle Eric Fisher was called for a hold on Steelers linebacker James Harrison and Davis, who had returned to the game, broke up a second conversion try from the 12 to keep the Steelers ahead, 18-16.
“I just read the quarterback,” said Davis. “I saw their No. (12) run a double route and when he kept going, I figured they were going to try to sneak it in there. I made the play.”
Kansas City kicked the ball deep and the Steelers had their hands team in expecting an onside kick. Return man Justin Gilbert, the only deep man, tried to cut back across the field with no blockers in front of him and was dropped for a two-yard loss at his own 5.
Bell gained two yards on first down and Ben Roethlisberger threw a short pass to Eli Rogers on second to set up third and four at the two-minute warning.
Roethlisberger rolled to his right on third down and connected on a short pass with Antonio Brown for the first down and the Steelers kneeled on the ball from there.
Both teams looked sharp early as both offenses scored on their opening possessions.
The Steelers drove quickly downfield on their opening possession but stalled at the Kansas City 4 when Roethlisberger’s third-and-2 pass to Eli Rogers gained just one yard.
Pittsburgh settled for a Boswell field goal and a 3-0 lead.
Boswell attempted to keep the ball away from dangerous return man Tyreek Hill on the ensuing kickoff, pooching it along the ground.
Tight end Demetrius Harris scooped it up at the 20 and returned it 25 yards to give Kansas City outstanding field position.
The Chiefs used that to their advantage, becoming the first team to score points against the Steelers on an opening possession, scoring on a 5-yard pass from Alex Smith to Albert Wilson after faking a sweep handoff to Hill.
“We hadn’t seen that one on film,” said rookie corner Artie Burns, who was in coverage on Wilson. “They hadn’t shown it. But they always come out with something new every game.”
Trailing 7-3, the Steelers got a 52-yard bomb from Roethlisberger to Brown on third-and-10 to set up a 38-yard Boswell field goal to trim the lead the 7-6.
Pittsburgh then took a 9-7 lead on its next possession, getting a third Boswell field goal after driving to the 20.
A pass to Brown in the end zone was broken up on first down by Steven Nelson and Bell was stopped for no gain on second down. Roethlisberger’s third-down pass was incomplete and Boswell kicked a 36-yard field goal to put Pittsburgh ahead 9-7 early in the second quarter.
“The guy got a hand in there, but I’ve got to find a way to come down with that,” said Brown.
Bud Dupree hit Smith’s arm on Kansas City’s ensuing possession and Ryan Shazier intercepted the errant pass for his fourth interception in the past four games, but Roethlisberger had a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage by rank Zombo that was intercepted in the end zone by safety Eric Berry for a touchback.
Pittsburgh then put together another promising drive at the end of the first half, with Bell gaining 32 yards rushing on five carries to become the first player in team history to have 100 yards rushing in the first half of a playoff game. But he was stopped for one yard on first down from the 25 and then dropped for a three-yard loss on a reception on second down.
Roethlisberger’s third-down pass to Eli Rogers was tipped at the line of scrimmage and Boswell kicked another field goal, this one from 45 yards, to give the Steelers a 12-7 halftime lead despite outgaining the Chiefs 275-106 in total yards in the first 30 minutes.
The Steelers tacked on two more Boswell field goals in the second half and Kansas City got one at the end of the third quarter.
“Boswell did his job today,” said Steelers guard Ramon Foster. “He’s ice cold.”
And now the Steelers head to New England to face a team that beat them 27-16 earlier this season in a game in which Roethlisberger did not play.
“They are who they are,” said Steelers guard David DeCastro. “They’re the team to beat. We’re going to have to play the perfect game if we want to win.”
Kansas City had two turnovers to one for the Steelers. … Roethlisberger was 18 of 29 for 212 yards and one interception, while Smith threw for 172 yards with one touchdown and one interception. … Brown had six catches for 108 yards for the Steelers and James had five for 83. … Harrison had Pittsburgh’s lone sack, the 11th of his career in the postseason. … Harrison also had three tackles for a loss.