The Steelers have a tough challenge on their hands this Sunday when they take on the AFC leading Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, one of the NFL's loudest venues.
While the Steelers know it's a challenge, the same thought process is in Kansas City where Coach Andy Reid knows what the black and gold can bring.
"We've got a big challenge with Pittsburgh coming in here," said Reid. "I'm glad we're playing here at home, but they sure have a good football team and we've got to get ourselves ready for that."
Reid and others talked about the Steelers this week, including weighing in on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, linebacker T.J. Watt and Coach Mike Tomlin.
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Coach Andy Reid on Ben Roethlisberger:
"Ben's a winner and a future Hall of Famer. You saw him this past week, what he did there. We've got to be prepared for playing against one of the best ever."
Defensive end Frank Clark on what kind of frustrations you have when playing Roethlisberger, who gets rid of the ball fast:
"A large percent of his passes are getting the ball out fast, the fact that he's always throwing checkdowns at a higher rate than the average quarterback. It only takes two drops for him to get into his throwing rotation to get the ball out. It's not a defensive end or an interior lineman that's going to get to the ball with a guy doing that, so hats off to him. Like I said, 17 years, he understands the strength of our team is the pass rush when it gets going, so I'm sure the last thing he wants us to do I get into a rhythm doing that to get warmed up and for us to be hitting him. He wants to continue doing what you're saying, getting that ball out."
Reid on the Steelers ability to win close games:
"They're the best in the business at it. Our guys respect that. They won more close games than anybody in the National Football League right now. We respect that. On tape they play hard, they are aggressive, well coached. Both sides of the ball, special teams. We understand the challenge there."
Offensive tackle Orlando Brown on what makes linebacker T.J. Watt such a tough challenge:
"He's an incredible player man. T.J. is definitely one of the best. In my opinion, he should have been defensive player of the year for the last two years, but Aaron Donald does what he does too. T.J.'s an amazing player. He plays with an effort unknown to mankind. He's very skilled at what he does, very precise with the way that he attacks your hands and has a really good feel for the game of football. He's somebody that very rarely are you able to keep him off a stat sheet. That's not going to happen. I played him my first few years in the NFL and he's an amazing player."
Reid on what has made Mike Tomlin such a successful coach:
"Mike is very honest with his guys, and I think very honest with his judgement of his players, so that becomes important. He loves his guys up, he's a players' coach and all that, but at the same time he's realistic. He's not afraid to tell a guy, 'Listen, you're probably creeping up on the end here,' and/or keep him around during a negotiation—you know, 'We'll probably need this guy to be here.' But I think that communication with their general manager is healthy, and then the players know that. You don't hear people complaining about how he does things. I think he shoots them straight."
Brown on how you have to prepare for the Steelers defense:
"The most important part when facing the Pittsburgh Steelers is being able to win your one-on-one. That's what they pride themselves on as a defensive line, and that's what they do really well. That's why they're always very high sack numbers. It's one-on-ones practically the whole game, run and pass, and so, that's something as an offensive line that you make sure you take care of on game day."
Reid on what he has seen from the Steelers:
"They're a good football team. They do a lot of different things offensively and defensively, and likewise special teams. You've got to be on you're A-game with them. You saw what they did this past weekend with Tennessee, so we've got to cover everything and then we've got to make sure we do what our guys do best and get out and play. That's how we roll. But they're a heck of a team."
Clark on what he's seen from the Steelers:
"Led by a veteran quarterback who knows all the tricks and trades of game, has obviously been successful and has won in this league. Just going with a team that is of course going to rally around him and their coach. They're fighting for position just like we are. No one has anything given to them at this point. Everyone is still battling for spots in the playoffs and fighting to finish the season off strong.
"A tough team, the Pittsburgh Steelers traditionally have always been tough. Great, great, great front guys, they got great set of core receivers and stuff like that. I feel like they got two solid running backs, definitely a strength at that position. I think Najee Harris is playing some good football this year as a rookie coming in, so hats off to him."
