It’s on Christmas Day Kansas City Chiefs Face it Pittsburgh Steelers. We welcome Ryland Bickley from Behind the steel curtain – our sister site at SB Nation, covering the Steelers – for Five questions for the enemy.

1) What is the local stance on Russell Wilson as the Steelers’ QB1 in 2025 after he resurrects his career in 2024?

Looking at the season as a whole, Steelers fans were largely pleased with what Wilson brought to the table. As for last week’s game specifically, Wilson was the main reason for the Steelers’ loss with two game-tying turnovers, so it’s not surprising that criticism has increased.

But for the most part, as you said, Wilson resurrected his career in Pittsburgh. He’s a different quarterback than the one Chiefs fans saw in Denver. His decisiveness and veteran know-how have largely been a plus, and even this late in his career he still has the athleticism to make some notable longer plays from time to time. There have been instances this season where Wilson has looked like his younger self — and when that happens, the Steelers’ offense can be surprisingly dangerous.

Looking ahead to 2025, things get a little bleaker – although it seems like most Steelers fans want to see Wilson return. Further complicating matters, Pittsburgh also has an expiring contract with Justin Fields, who is younger and more athletic than Wilson and also has a 4-2 record as a starter this season. Wilson has clearly surpassed Fields in 2024, but concerns that Father Time could catch up with Wilson will understandably lead some to want to move on with Fields.

Ultimately, most fans want Wilson to receive a short, reasonable contract through 2025. It might be entertaining, though: The Steelers haven’t had to pay quarterback starting money since Ben Roethlisberger. The market is completely different as we enter 2025 and Wilson will cost a lot more than many are willing to admit.

2) Chiefs fans often criticize passing on George Pickens in the 2022 draft. Does his talent completely overshadow the red flags from Georgia that have scared teams away?

For the most part, Pickens was good enough to make up for his antics. Compared to the wide receiver drama the Steelers have experienced in the past, Pickens hasn’t been much of a distraction — and his teammates seem to like him. Still, his ability to “completely” eclipse these warning signs isn’t entirely true. Pickens causes drama regularly enough that I expect the Steelers to take that into account when it comes to negotiating a second contract.

Until then, it’s hard to deny Pickens’ value to the team. He is the Steelers’ best offensive player and by far their best receiver. Pittsburgh survived the win over the Cleveland Browns without him, but he was sorely missed in losses to the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles. Without Pickens, the Steelers lose their only consistent big-play threat. Against a good defense, they don’t have the depth to overcome them.

Assuming Pickens is healthy, the ceiling for Pittsburgh’s offense against the Chiefs changes drastically, although the Steelers have still found ways to struggle with the No. 14 seed in the lineup this season. Still, the return of an elite catching receiver to the lineup will free up Russell Wilson’s “moon ball” for the offense.

3) The Steelers defense, as always, defines the team identity. How do you see them keeping up with the Chiefs?

From what I’ve seen from the Chiefs this season, their offense is good, but not as great as their 14-1 record with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback would suggest. That being said, the Steelers’ secondary was a disaster last week, with both starting cornerbacks and a starting safety missing almost the entire Ravens matchup. Baltimore doesn’t have an elite group of receivers, but the Steelers have struggled mightily.

Against the Chiefs, Pittsburgh should Move Donte Jackson back to corner and move DeShon Elliott (who was a Pro Bowl talent this year) back to safety. But the Steelers will likely still be thin in the secondary with Joey Porter Jr. expected to miss the game, and the Chiefs have a larger group of pass catchers than Baltimore. That could cause some problems – and playing against Patrick Mahomes doesn’t make the duel any easier.

I am more optimistic when it comes to decision making. While the Steelers’ pass rush is loaded with talent, the sack numbers haven’t been great this season. However, the Chiefs’ struggles at offensive tackle bode well for them – and if Joe Thuney continues to move to left tackle, it opens up a duel for the Steelers’ Cam Heyward (who has been elite this season) on the interior.

Pittsburgh suffered an uncharacteristic collapse against the Ravens’ Derrick Henry last week, but overall, run defense was this Steelers team’s biggest strength. Kansas City has two good running backs in Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, but I think the Steelers can handle this matchup.

Ultimately, the performance of the defense really depends on how well the secondary can hold up against Mahomes and Co.

4) Short weeks are always unpredictable. Which player do you think could play an outsized role in deciding this game?

It’s obvious, but I think TJ Watt is the X-factor for the Steelers here. He clearly wasn’t 100% against the Ravens – and while he wasn’t bad, the Steelers just couldn’t generate enough pressure to help their undermanned secondary. If Watt is healthy, I think he could be a real game-changer against the Chiefs’ O-line. If not, it could be another long week for Pittsburgh’s corners.

For a more understated pick, I’m going with wide receiver Calvin Austin III. He was the Steelers’ top receiver despite Pickens not being in the lineup. He is undersized but extremely fast and has slowly developed from a gadget player into a solid wide receiver who can make a few good plays per game. Assuming the Chiefs pay a lot of attention to Pickens on Wednesday, Austin could play an important role in the Steelers’ offense. The problem? He had five games with fewer than 10 receiving yards this season. It is far from a guarantee that he will make the difference.

5) The Chiefs are 2.5 away favorites. Do you think this line is fair? How do you see the outcome of this matter?

I think that’s a fair line. The Steelers have dropped two points in consecutive weeks, but they are getting some reinforcements and have generally kept games close this season. They are also back home, which is huge. However, I don’t have much confidence in the Steelers’ recovery in the short week. I see the Chiefs winning an ugly game, probably in the last minute, 24-20.

Be sure to check out the answers I provided to their questions by clicking Here.