KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ The Killer B's of the Pittsburgh Steelers _ an all-world triumvirate composed of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le'Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown _ can add a fourth member to their group. Chris Boswell, the Steelers kicker, set an NFL playoff record with six field goals as the Steelers held off the Chiefs, 18-16, on Sunday night to advance to the AFC championship game.
The Steelers will stay on the road next week, traveling to Foxborough, Mass., to face the New England Patriots.
On a misty, wretched night, Bell carried the majority of the load for his team. He logged 170 yards in 30 carries, dipping and dodging behind a stout offensive line. Roethlisberger hit Brown for a crucial first down just after the two-minute warning, which prevented Kansas City from reclaiming possession. That last pass started a procession of red toward the exits of Arrowhead Stadium.
Bottled up for most of the night, the Chiefs trudged through a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to cut the Steelers' lead to two with 2:43 on the clock. A holding penalty wiped out the initial two-point conversion, a fitting denouement for a Chiefs team that sputtered through a night marred by self-inflicted wounds. Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith could not thread the needle on his next attempt. His pass was batted aside by safety Sean Davis, which placed the lead in the hands of Bell, Roethlisberger and Brown. Boswell was no longer needed.
A spate of frozen rain had swept across the plains over the weekend, which persuaded the NFL to push the game from the afternoon into the evening. By nightfall, the temperature lifted enough to make the rain bearable. Fog descended as the hours passed.
The effect of Chiefs speedster Tyreek Hill became obvious soon after Pittsburgh booted a field goal on its opening drive. Rather than kick deep to Hill, the Steelers squibbed the ball to tight end Demetrius Harris, who picked up 25 yards and set the Chiefs up on their own 45-yard line.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid made sure Hill touched the ball early. Lined up as wingback, Hill swept around the right end for a first down. After a 21-yard catch by tight end Travis Kelce, Alex Smith hit Hill over the middle for another seven yards. Two plays later, Smith faked the same sweep to Hill, then rolled to his left. He found receiver Albert Wilson wide-open for a five-yard touchdown.
But from there, the Kansas City offense went silent, as Pittsburgh gained comfort with Reid's gimmicks. The Steelers held the football for more than 20 minutes in the first half and never punted. Bell broke the 100-yard barrier in the second quarter, with his slippery presence serving as his offense's steadying force.
On Pittsburgh's second possession, a miscommunication in Kansas City's coverage left linebacker Justin Houston trying to stay beside Brown, the five-time Pro Bowler. Roethlisberger floated a 52-yard bomb to Brown, and Boswell connected on a second field goal soon after.
Pittsburgh reclaimed the lead after settling for a third field goal on their third drive. A blitz by Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree led to a deflected interception, and the Steelers soon made their way to Kansas City's five-yard line. But this drive stalled when Chiefs linebacker Frank Zombo tipped a pass and safety Eric Berry corralled it in the end zone.
The pick only delayed more yardage for Bell. Facing a third-and-nine on their own 46, the Steelers trusted the patience of Bell and the heft of their offensive line. Bell darted off tackle for 17 yards, then picked up 12 more on his next two carries. That set the stage for Boswell's fourth field goal, and gave Pittsburgh a five-point lead at the half.
Bell did not wait long to torment the Chiefs after the break. On his first carry of the third quarter, he squirted into space when the lineman trio of Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro walled off the interior of the Chiefs' defense. Bell shook one defender, slapped away another and dragged a third on his way to a 38-yard gain. The drive ended like so many others: Boswell drilled another field goal.
The Chiefs found an answer, if not a totally fulfilling one, as time ticked away to end the third quarter. A 20-yard catch by wide receiver Jeremy Maclin offset a third-and-20. Cairo Santos supplied a 48-yard field goal.
And yet the Steelers kept churning down the field, unable to execute a touchdown strike, but still capable of increasing their lead. A trio of completions by Roethlisberger brought the offense back within Boswell's range. He took care of business for the record-breaking sixth time, to push the lead back to eight with a little bit less than 10 minutes left.
