DeShon Elliott calls out Steelers' defense after 29-10 Chiefs defeat: "Guys can’t be f**king wide open"

There was no Christmas delight for the Pittsburgh Steelers as their odds of winning the AFC North suffered a massive blow following their 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Acrisure Stadium.

The usually stellar Steelers defense picked the worst possible time to have one of its worst performances of the season. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who had only two games with over 300 passing yards this season, threw for 320, his second-best outing as a passer in 2024. It was only the third time Pittsburgh had given up over 300 passing yards this campaign.

The Steelers' secondary was understandably frustrated, and safety DeShon Elliott did not mince words when critiquing the unit's performance against the Chiefs. In a scathing indictment of the defense's display, he said:

"They made adjustments when they should have. We did not ... As a defense, we did not do what we were supposed to do ... First of all, guys can't be f**king wide open. That's the first thing. Do your job ... It's Week 18. We shouldn't be having these problems in Week 18. That's a Week 1 or Week 2 problem."

Steelers playoff path: Pittsburgh no longer in control of its destiny

The Steelers' loss to the Chiefs was their third on the trot. They are now 10-6 and at the time of writing half a game behind the Baltimore Ravens, who were leading the Houston Texans 31-2. A win for the Ravens would see them go into Week 18 one game clear at the top of the AFC North standings.

For the Steelers to win the division, they'd have to beat the Cincinnati Bengals at home and hope the Cleveland Browns do them a favor and beat the Ravens. In this case, Pittsburgh and Baltimore will finish the season 11-6 and the outcome of the division title race will be decided via a tiebreaker.

The two teams split the season series 1-1, so neither has the advantage. The next criterion is their record against their AFC North rivals. If the Steelers beat the Bengals, they'd improve to 4-2 in divisional duels. If the Ravens lose to the Browns, they will drop to 3-3 against their rivals.

In this scenario, Pittsburgh would win the AFC North and commence its playoff run as the No. 3 seed at home. It's a tall order, but it's not impossible.