Football is a game of memory. If you ask anyone in the 412 about the Steelers vs Chiefs game, they won’t talk about some grainy highlight from the seventies. They’ll talk about Christmas 2024. It was supposed to be a holiday celebration at Acrisure Stadium. Instead, it felt more like a three-hour clinic on why Patrick Mahomes is the closest thing to a cheat code the NFL has ever seen.
The Chiefs didn't just win that game; they dismantled the Steelers' soul. Final score: 29-10. It was clinical. It was cold. Honestly, it was a little embarrassing for a Mike Tomlin-led team that usually finds a way to keep things ugly and close.
The Mahomes Mastery
Patrick Mahomes has a weird relationship with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s now 4-0 against them. In those four games, he’s thrown 17 touchdowns and exactly one interception. That’s not a rivalry. That’s a lopsided ownership agreement.
During that 2024 holiday matchup, Mahomes was dealing with a bum ankle he’d picked up against Cleveland. It didn't matter. He came out and immediately found Xavier Worthy for a 7-yard score. Then he found Justin Watson for 11 yards. By the time the first quarter ended, the Steelers were down two possessions and had managed exactly one first down.
💡 You might also like: Seahawks Standing in the NFL: Why Seattle is Stuck in the Playoff Purgatory Middle
It was sort of like watching a heavyweight boxer try to catch a fly. T.J. Watt was flying off the edge, but the ball was already gone. Mahomes finished the day 29-of-38 for 320 yards. Three touchdowns. Zero mistakes.
Where the Steelers Lost the Script
Everyone looks at Russell Wilson and wonders what happened. In that game, Russ was... well, he was Russ. He scrambled for a 1-yard touchdown in the second quarter to make it 13-7, giving the Yinzers a brief spark of hope.
But hope is a dangerous thing in Pittsburgh when the offense can’t sustain a drive.
📖 Related: Sammy Sosa Before and After Steroids: What Really Happened
The Steelers’ defense, missing pieces like Donte Jackson and trying to keep up with Travis Kelce, just couldn't get off the field. Kelce caught eight balls for 84 yards. His fourth-quarter touchdown was the dagger, moving him past Tony Gonzalez for the franchise lead in TD receptions. He even did the goalpost dunk. The refs flagged him, but at 29-10, nobody in Kansas City cared.
The 2026 Context: A New Era?
Fast forward to today, January 2026. The landscape has shifted. Mike Tomlin is gone. Aaron Rodgers—yeah, that Aaron Rodgers—is the veteran presence under center in Pittsburgh, though the team is already looking at Alabama’s Ty Simpson in the draft.
The Chiefs are still the Chiefs, even with the constant talk of Kelce’s retirement or Mahomes’ latest ankle tweaks. But that Steelers vs Chiefs game in late 2024 remains the benchmark for how far Pittsburgh has to go. You can’t beat Kansas City by playing "safe" football. You can't beat them by hoping Chris Boswell kicks four field goals.
👉 See also: Saint Benedict's Prep Soccer: Why the Gray Bees Keep Winning Everything
The Steelers are currently in a bit of a quarterback purgatory. They have Rodgers, but he’s 42. He’s a bridge to nowhere if the defense doesn't regain its "Steel Curtain" identity. Meanwhile, Kansas City just keeps winning. They forced 10 turnovers in an 11-day stretch during that 2024 run. That’s high-level execution that Pittsburgh hasn't touched in years.
What We Learned
If you’re betting on the next meeting or just trying to understand the gap between these two franchises, look at the third-down conversions. In their most recent high-stakes clashes, the Chiefs consistently convert at 40% or higher. The Steelers? They’ve been stuck in the 30s.
- Quarterback Play: Mahomes is 4-0 vs Pittsburgh. Until someone hits him, and hits him hard, he’s going to keep carving up the zone.
- The Kelce Factor: Even as he nears the end, Kelce remains the most difficult matchup for Pittsburgh’s linebackers.
- Rushing Disparity: Najee Harris had 74 yards in that Christmas game, but most of it came when the game was already out of reach.
Basically, the Steelers need to stop playing catch-up. They spend the first half of these games trying not to lose, and by the time they start trying to win, Mahomes has already put 20 on the board.
If you want to see the Steelers get back to winning these matchups, watch the offensive line development this offseason. Pittsburgh cannot afford to give up five sacks like they did on Christmas Day. They need to protect whoever is under center—whether it's Rodgers for one more year or a rookie—to even have a puncher's chance against Andy Reid's scheme. Keep an eye on the 2026 NFL Draft; the Steelers' pick at the quarterback position will likely determine if they can finally end the Mahomes hex.