4 things that have to change

The Steelers aren't half as bad as they've looked on consecutive Sundays against the Bengals and Chiefs. But to deny that this team has some very serious issues seems pretty absurd at this point. Here are 4 things that I think need to change for this team to have any shot at the playoffs. 

1) Kickoff coverage: Nothing gives a bigger boost to a team like the Chiefs than allowing a TD on the first kickoff of the game. Those points cost us another win. We need more toughness on the kickoff team, even if we need to start using more players from our starting defense. It's pretty clear that our opponents have found a glaring weakness that they continue to exploit.

2) Interceptions inside the 10 yard line:  The 10-point swing that resulted fom Studebaker's interception was an absolute killer and gave the Chiefs all the life they needed. And this same thing has happened all too frequently. Can we please stop calling these bonehead plays in situations when they're absolutely unnecessary? If we get even 3 points in that situation, we win the game.

3) Over-reliance on long passes:  Our QB is the toughest in the league, but he's going to get killed if we keep calling long passes when we don't need to.  

4) Second half defensive lapses:  How do we totally shut down a team's offense for 2 or 3 quarters and then just let them explode with big plays at crucial points in the second half?  Dick LeBeau needs to find the answer to this one.

Bottom line: A whole bunch of bad stuff happens when you dominate statistically but not on the scoreboard. Our inability to put teams away was amply displayed against the Chiefs and, if not corrected, this will kill any chance the Steelers still have of making the playoffs. Gawd, if we can't close out the Chiefs, who on earth can we close out?