Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Week 17 Preview, Score Predictions

How will the Kansas City Chiefs fare when they travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17? Let's predict KC's 16th outing of the 2024 season.

Jan 16, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC Wild Card playoff football game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs are back in action this week, and it's a Christmas Day game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the docket. Week 17 brings plenty of playoff implications along with it, ensuring that both teams will be looking to play at their best on Wednesday.

How will the game unfold? The Kansas City Chiefs On SI crew makes its predictions for Week 17 of the 2024-25 campaign.

Joshua Brisco: This game has all the makings of a bizarre anybody’s-game holiday showdown. If Chris Jones is absent, the Chiefs’ defense could be unrecognizable. The Steelers’ pass rush is a scary matchup for a KC O-line that has struggled to protect Patrick Mahomes, though Joe Thuney’s move to left tackle has stabilized the unit a bit. Ultimately, I’m picking the Chiefs to secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed on Christmas Day, though the Steelers have significant Grinching potential.

Prediction: Chiefs 20, Steelers 16

Jordan Foote: It's hard to get a read on the ceiling of this Steelers team, or at least how legitimate that ceiling is. Things seem to be normalizing a bit recently as Russell Wilson comes back down to earth and the team flirts with an AFC North title, but this is still a dangerous squad. Wilson will push the ball vertically, which is something Kansas City has to be aware of. On offense, Patrick Mahomes and company will have their hands full against an elite defense. I'm taking the Chiefs to win on the road here but like Brisco alluded to, there isn't a ton of certainty behind that pick for Christmas Day.

Prediction: Chiefs 21, Steelers 17

Zack Eisen: Another year, another Christmas game for the Chiefs. Kansas City knows it can lock up the top overall seed in the AFC with a win against the Steelers. The offense will continue to grow based on their performance last Saturday. "Hollywood" Brown’s debut was very impressive in a limited amount of snaps. He should be more involved this week and could score his first touchdown as a Chief. The defense may be without Chris Jones, but they should be able to hold down this Steelers offense even without him. With the one-seed in sight, I expect a focused Chiefs team knowing they get almost a month off before their first playoff game.

Prediction: Chiefs 28, Steelers 17

Mark Van Sickle: It’s the toughest game in an 11-day stretch for the Chiefs. A road game in Pittsburgh awaits, and the Steelers are another playoff team on the schedule. The Steelers are playing on similar short rest, but they played in an even later game on Saturday. Advantage: Chiefs. Russell Wilson has been much better with the Steelers than he was with the Denver Broncos. He’s not playing at an elite level, but it’s the best quarterback play they’ve had since Ben Roethlisberger retired.

The Steelers' defense continues to be solid and with T.J. Watt rushing the passer, it’s going to be tough for any opponent, let alone a Chiefs offensive line that has struggled much of the season. The good news is the Chiefs' offense looked the crispest it had all season in a win over the Houston Texans last week. Joe Thuney at left tackle has surprisingly been a nice fit the past few games. Hopefully, that trend continues. One more win for the Chiefs would give them the only bye in the AFC and home-field advantage once again. This feels like a game the Chiefs win nine out of 10 times. Hopefully, it’s not the one bad game where they lose the turnover battle and make things weird.

Prediction: Chiefs 27, Steelers 17

Read More: Chiefs DT Chris Jones Status Update for Week 17 vs. Steelers