Chiefs try to secure home-field advantage in the AFC when they visit Pittsburgh on Christmas

PITTSBURGH (AP) — 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 have that luxury, not after consecutive lopsided losses to Philadelphia and Baltimore dropped them into a tie with the Ravens atop the AFC North.

Still, beating Mahomes for the first time in four tries would go a long way toward restoring some of the swagger that’s seeped out while getting bullied by two of the league’s elite.

“I think that opportunity to play on Christmas Day, play the defending world champs and who they are and what they’ve done, it’s a great opportunity for us,” Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson said. “And really is a testament to who we can be.”

Best supporting actor

Marquise “Hollywood” Brown gave what had been a middling Kansas City offense a jolt last week in his regular-season debut, catching five passes for 45 yards. He had missed the entire season after hurting his shoulder during the first game of the preseason. Brown’s presence also took some of the attention away from first-round pick Xavier Worthy, a fellow speedster, who had seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown in the best game of his career.

“We’ll get (Brown) involved more and more as the season goes on,” Mahomes said.

Hi, George?

The Steelers are hoping wide receiver George Pickens will be available after he missed the past three games with a balky hamstring.

Pittsburgh’s offense has struggled to generate much downfield without its leading receiver. Wilson is averaging 167.7 yards passing without Pickens, compared with 271 yards when the 6-foot-3 Pickens is in the lineup.

“He’s one of the best receivers in the National Football League, without a doubt,” Wilson said of his 23-year-old teammate. “The things that he can do with the football, his catching radius is remarkable. So I think the best thing that he brings is he strikes fear in that defense.”

A fear that’s been lacking without him.

Catching Kelce

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has just two touchdown receptions this season, his most recent coming Nov. 10 against Denver. That means the four-time All-Pro has failed in six consecutive games to get the one TD catch he needs to break a tie with Tony Gonzalez (76) for the franchise record. Kelce has 89 catches for 739 yards this season.

Offensive line moves

The Chiefs started All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney at tackle for the second straight week against Houston, and the result was the best protection Mahomes has had all season. But then right tackle Jawaan Taylor hurt his knee, and that forced the Chiefs to put Wanya Morris — who had lost the left tackle job — into the lineup.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs are still hoping that former Pro Bowl left tackle D.J. Humphries will recover from his hamstring injury in time for the playoffs.

“It’s important that these guys — as they go through the ebb and flows of the season and game by game — is they stay locked in, they stay focused,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. “We always are supporting them.”

Communication breakdown

Pittsburgh’s defense has been battered physically and mistake-prone mentally of late. The Steelers have given up more than 400 yards in consecutive games for the first time since 2019, and now they have to find a way to shore everything up on short rest against a quarterback who has thrown for 14 touchdowns in three games against Pittsburgh.

Tomlin expressed disgust about giving up a pair of touchdown passes to tight ends against the Ravens, with a lack of communication being at the center of the problem on both plays. Tomlin said it’s simply too late in the season for that to be happening and challenged his veteran-laden group to tighten up.

“It is frustrating but, at the same time, we’re human,” linebacker Patrick Queen said. “This is when you’re supposed to taking off as a defense, not falling back.”

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AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed to this report.

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