In Kansas City on the day after Christmas, the Pittsburgh Steelers punctured any remaining illusion of being a playoff-worthy team. Not only were the Black-and-Gold exposed as generally not ready for prime-time competition, but Ben Roethlisberger did nothing to silence critics' claims that his NFL career has exceeded its expiration date.
For the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals and other AFC contenders, a game with the 2021 Steelers has represented little more than a light scrimmage and tune-up for the playoffs.
From the opening kickoff at Arrowhead, Pittsburgh never challenged the Chiefs and was incapable of mustering even the beginning of a last-ditch comeback they had managed in previous games.