The Kansas City Chiefs are set to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Christmas Day showdown that could lock up the No. 1 seed for the reigning Super Bowl champions. The issue is the team will have to attempt this feat without one of their best and most important players.
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Chiefs Pro-Bowl DT Chris Jones officially is inactive today vs. the Steelers.
Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. officially is inactive, WR George Pickens officially active. https://t.co/9uCXaq7KIL
All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones will not suit up for the matchup against the Steelers. He tweaked his ankle when the Chiefs took on the Texans on Saturday, and will not be available on this short week.
Jones has been stellar all season, bringing in five sacks and one forced fumble through 15 games. Considering the Chiefs keep finding ways to win, it would be believable that they can get past the Steelers to secure the No. 1 seed.
Should the Chiefs win on Christmas, they would not have to play for anything else in Week 18, meaning most starters would be rested for the upcoming playoff action. Kansas City is likely going to want to be careful with Jones' injury and not allow the stalwart defender to risk getting even more hurt.
The Chiefs are currently 14-1 and have been one of the best teams in the NFL throughout the 2024 season. What is interesting is they have won multiple games by just a field goal or one score, but have simply figured out a way to win even under a ton of adversity.
The AFC is stacked with solid playoff-bound teams like the Buffalo Bills, Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and more. However, the Chiefs can prove they are better than most of this list considering they are set to take on Pittsburgh on Christmas.
Losing Jones for the game is going to be a big loss, but the Chiefs will need other players like Drue Tranquill, Mike Danna, and Tershawn Wharton to step up for Jones while he is out.
The Steelers should play with a lot of intensity, as they are chasing the AFC North division. Should they take down the Chiefs, they will be a big step closer to achieving that.
Pittsburgh can also put the AFC on notice by beating the Steelers, which has not been done by 14 other teams. The Christmas Day matchup will be streamed live on Netflix for the first time in NFL history. The historic game could lead to even more live-streamed events in the future.
For more on the Chiefs, head to Newsweek Sports.
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