This is a completed-match recap, not a preview. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers last met on Christmas Day, Wednesday 25 December 2024, in Week 17 of the NFL season, and the Chiefs won 29–10 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. The win moved Kansas City to 15–1, a franchise record for victories, and clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Patrick Mahomes threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns; Travis Kelce caught his 1,000th career reception and his franchise-record 77th touchdown catch; and Pittsburgh, losing its third straight game, never had the ball with a chance to take the lead in the second half. It was the fourth straight win for Kansas City in a rivalry Pittsburgh still leads all time — but one that has tilted decisively toward the Chiefs in the Mahomes era.
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Latest result | Chiefs 29, Steelers 10 — 25 December 2024, Week 17, Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh |
| Chiefs stars | Patrick Mahomes (29/38, 320 yards, 3 TD), Travis Kelce (8 catches, 84 yards, 1 TD), Xavier Worthy (8 catches, 79 yards, 1 TD) |
| Steelers stars | Russell Wilson (23/37, 205 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, plus a 1-yard rushing TD), Najee Harris (13 carries, 74 yards) |
| What decided it | Kansas City’s 13–0 first-quarter lead, five sacks of Wilson, and a fourth-quarter breakaway (two touchdowns after a 16–10 game) |
| Milestones | Kelce’s 1,000th career reception (third tight end ever) and his 77th career TD catch (Chiefs franchise record) |
| Series record | Steelers lead 23–15 overall across 38 games including playoffs; regular season 22–13 to Pittsburgh |
| Last five meetings | 2016: Steelers 43–14; 2018: Chiefs 42–37; 2021: Chiefs 36–10; 2022 playoff: Chiefs 42–21; 2024: Chiefs 29–10 |
Table of Contents
- The Latest Game at a Glance: 25 December 2024
- How the 2024 Game Unfolded, Quarter by Quarter
- Mahomes and Kelce in 2024: The Record-Breaking Afternoon
- Quarterbacks in 2024: Mahomes’ Control Against Wilson’s Pressure
- Rushing and Receiving in 2024
- Defence in 2024: Five Sacks and the Fumble That Broke It
- Team Numbers That Explain the 2024 Result
- 16 January 2022: The 42–21 Playoff Rout
- 2021 and 2018: The Two Regular-Season Blowouts
- 2 October 2016: Pittsburgh’s Last Win in the Series
- Who Played Best in Each Game?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
The Latest Game at a Glance: 25 December 2024
Kansas City arrived in Pittsburgh needing one win to lock up the AFC’s top seed, and treated the game like a coronation. Each of the Chiefs’ first two possessions were long drives that resulted in touchdowns, and Pittsburgh’s first two drives combined for one yard across eight plays. The Steelers kept it a one-score game through three quarters — 16–10 entering the fourth — but Hunt’s touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, followed by a Pat Freiermuth fumble that led to Kelce’s score, turned a contest into a rout in the space of minutes.
| Quarter | Chiefs | Steelers |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 13 | 0 |
| 2nd | 0 | 7 |
| 3rd | 3 | 3 |
| 4th | 13 | 0 |
| Final | 29 | 10 |
The 19-point margin was Kansas City’s best of the season, and the win was the Chiefs’ sixth straight. It also gave them something no other result could: a first-round bye, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and a Week 18 game against Denver that no longer mattered — rest that was good news for injured players including defensive tackle Chris Jones, left tackle D.J. Humphries (both of whom missed the game) and running back Isiah Pacheco, who injured his wrist during the win. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, fell to 10–6, lost its third straight, and no longer controlled its own destiny in the AFC North race, despite already clinching a playoff berth.
How the 2024 Game Unfolded, Quarter by Quarter
Mahomes opened the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Worthy, then connected with Justin Watson on an 11-yard pass to open up a 13–0 lead in the first quarter (the extra point on the first touchdown failed). Pittsburgh thought it had got back in the game when Jaylen Warren ran into the end zone, but the score was ruled out for a holding penalty — and on the next play, Russell Wilson was intercepted in the end zone by Justin Reid. Pittsburgh did give itself some hope in the second quarter, when Wilson finished a 72-yard, 11-play drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown to make it 13–7.
The teams traded field goals to start the second half — Harrison Butker from 32 yards with 12:21 left in the third quarter, Chris Boswell from 36 yards with 5:45 left — for a 16–10 game entering the fourth. Then Kansas City ran away with it. Kareem Hunt scored on a 2-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 22–10 (the two-point try failed), Freiermuth fumbled to set up the next score, and Mahomes found Kelce in the end zone with a 12-yard pass to settle the contest at 29–10. “Getting the No. 1 seed is important,” Mahomes said afterwards. “It’s like winning a playoff game.”
Mahomes and Kelce in 2024: The Record-Breaking Afternoon
Kelce’s afternoon was historic twice over. His eight catches for 84 yards took him past 1,000 career receptions — he finished the day on 1,004 — making him only the third tight end in NFL history to reach the milestone, after Tony Gonzalez (1,325) and Jason Witten (1,228). His 12-yard touchdown catch was the 77th of his career, passing Gonzalez for the Chiefs’ franchise record for receiving touchdowns, and he celebrated by dunking the football through the uprights in Gonzalez’s signature style. Mahomes spread his 29 completions to eight different receivers, including a career-best eight to Worthy and four to Hollywood Brown, whose return from injury had given Kansas City another playmaker. “We’re playing, especially offensively, our best football of the year,” Mahomes said.
Quarterbacks in 2024: Mahomes’ Control Against Wilson’s Pressure
| Player | Team | Completions / attempts | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs | 29 / 38 | 320 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Russell Wilson | Steelers | 23 / 37 | 205 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
The contrast is stark: Mahomes was not sacked once and threw no interceptions, while Wilson was sacked five times for 43 yards lost and threw the end-zone interception that killed Pittsburgh’s best early chance. Mahomes, hardly bothered by the ankle injury he had suffered against Cleveland the previous week, threw touchdowns to cap Kansas City’s first two drives. Wilson’s only touchdown contribution was his own 1-yard run in the second quarter — Pittsburgh’s passing game never reached the end zone.
Rushing and Receiving in 2024
| Player | Team | Rushing | Receiving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kareem Hunt | Chiefs | 2-yard TD (plus team-high ground contribution in the fourth quarter) | — |
| Travis Kelce | Chiefs | — | 8 catches, 84 yards, 1 TD |
| Xavier Worthy | Chiefs | — | 8 catches, 79 yards, 1 TD |
| Najee Harris | Steelers | 13 carries, 74 yards | — |
| Pat Freiermuth | Steelers | — | 7 catches, 60 yards |
Worthy’s eight catches continued a strong rookie season, and his 7-yard touchdown opened the scoring. Harris’s 74 yards on 13 carries were respectable but never threatened to change the game, because Pittsburgh trailed from the first quarter and could not sustain drives. Freiermuth’s seven catches for 60 yards were undermined by the fourth-quarter fumble that handed Kansas City the field position for Kelce’s clinching touchdown.
Defence in 2024: Five Sacks and the Fumble That Broke It
Kansas City’s defence thrived even without its leader: Chris Jones missed the game with a calf injury, yet the Chiefs still sacked Wilson five times. The defence’s two defining plays were Reid’s end-zone interception — which erased Pittsburgh’s best early scoring chance after the Warren touchdown was called back — and the Freiermuth fumble in the fourth quarter, which turned a 22–10 game into the 29–10 final. Pittsburgh’s defence, meanwhile, could not get off the field early: Kansas City’s first two drives were long touchdown marches, and the Steelers’ offence managed only one yard on its first two possessions combined.
Team Numbers That Explain the 2024 Result
Kansas City’s 15–1 record after the win set a franchise record for victories in a season, and the 19-point margin was its largest of the year — both fitting for a team that had spent most of the season winning ugly, by one score, and suddenly looked like the machine of previous years. Pittsburgh’s third straight loss dropped it behind Baltimore in the AFC North, and its offence, which had scored just 10 points, was now the story of a team entering the playoffs cold. The Steelers’ first two drives (one yard, eight plays) and Wilson’s five sacks tell the story more honestly than the final score: this was a game Kansas City controlled from the opening kickoff.
16 January 2022: The 42–21 Playoff Rout
The previous meeting before Christmas 2024 was even more one-sided — and far more dramatic in its shape. In the AFC wild-card round on 16 January 2022, Kansas City beat Pittsburgh 42–21 at Arrowhead Stadium, in what proved to be Ben Roethlisberger’s final NFL game. The start was anything but routine: Kansas City punted or turned the ball over on each of its first five possessions, and T.J. Watt returned a fumbled trick-play exchange for a touchdown to give Pittsburgh a 7–0 lead. Mahomes, who had completed only 6 of 12 passes for 45 yards to that point, then completed 24 of his next 27 for 359 yards and five touchdowns, leading Kansas City to touchdowns on six straight possessions and 35 unanswered points.
| Player | Team | Passing | Rushing / Receiving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs | 30/39, 404 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT | — |
| Travis Kelce | Chiefs | Threw 1 TD pass | 5 catches, 108 yards, 1 TD |
| Jerick McKinnon | Chiefs | — | 12 carries, 61 yards; 6 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD |
| Byron Pringle | Chiefs | — | 2 TD catches (one from Mahomes, one from Kelce) |
| Ben Roethlisberger | Steelers | 29/44, 215 yards, 2 TD | — |
| Najee Harris | Steelers | — | 12 carries, 29 yards |
Mahomes’ five touchdown passes came in a span of 11 minutes and 31 seconds between the second and third quarters — the fastest five-touchdown span by any quarterback in NFL postseason history, per the Chiefs’ own record-keeping. Kansas City gained 478 net yards and 26 first downs. Roethlisberger’s two touchdown passes, to Diontae Johnson and James Washington, came late, after the game was decided. “We were all pissed at ourselves,” Mahomes said of the slow start. “We weren’t playing with enough energy. We all motivated ourselves. Everyone was talking to each other, and we came out with a different urgency.”
2021 and 2018: The Two Regular-Season Blowouts
On 26 December 2021, Kansas City beat Pittsburgh 36–10 at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 16, clinching the AFC West in the process. On 16 September 2018, Kansas City won a very different kind of game, 42–37 in Pittsburgh, in an early-season shootout. Together with the 2022 playoff rout and the 2024 Christmas win, those results make four straight Kansas City victories in the series — the longest current winning streak either team holds in the rivalry.
2 October 2016: Pittsburgh’s Last Win in the Series
Pittsburgh’s last victory over Kansas City came on 2 October 2016, a 43–14 win in Pittsburgh. That result is now nearly a decade old, and it belongs to a different era of both franchises — before Mahomes became Kansas City’s starter. Since then, the rivalry has been a story of Pittsburgh’s historical edge (23–15 overall, 22–13 in the regular season) meeting Kansas City’s present dominance (four straight wins, two of them by 21 and 19 points).
Who Played Best in Each Game?
| Game | Best player | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Dec 2024 — Chiefs 29, Steelers 10 | Patrick Mahomes | 320 yards, three touchdowns, no sacks, no interceptions — total control |
| 16 Jan 2022 — Chiefs 42, Steelers 21 (playoff) | Patrick Mahomes | 404 yards, five touchdowns, six straight TD drives after a dreadful start |
| 26 Dec 2021 — Chiefs 36, Steelers 10 | Kansas City’s offence | A complete performance to clinch the division |
| 16 Sep 2018 — Chiefs 42, Steelers 37 | Kansas City’s offence | Won a shootout in Pittsburgh |
| 2 Oct 2016 — Steelers 43, Chiefs 14 | Pittsburgh | The last Steelers win in the series, and a comprehensive one |
For fan discussion of the Christmas Day game, see the ArrowheadOne open thread: ArrowheadOne open thread: Chiefs at Steelers. And for another Chiefs recap from this site, see our breakdown of the Raiders game: Kansas City Chiefs vs Las Vegas Raiders match player stats.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the score of the last Chiefs vs Steelers game?
Kansas City won 29–10 on Christmas Day, 25 December 2024, at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, clinching the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
How many yards did Patrick Mahomes throw for against the Steelers in 2024?
320 yards on 29 of 38 passing, with three touchdowns and no interceptions, and he was not sacked.
What records did Travis Kelce break in the 2024 game?
His 1,000th career reception (only the third tight end ever to reach it) and his 77th career touchdown catch, passing Tony Gonzalez for the Chiefs’ franchise record.
Who leads the Chiefs vs Steelers series all time?
Pittsburgh leads 23–15 across 38 games including three postseason meetings; in the regular season alone it is 22–13 to the Steelers. Kansas City has won the last four meetings.
What happened in the 2022 playoff game between the Chiefs and Steelers?
Kansas City won 42–21 in the wild-card round on 16 January 2022. After falling behind 7–0 on a T.J. Watt fumble-return touchdown, Mahomes threw five touchdown passes and led six straight touchdown drives. It was Ben Roethlisberger’s final NFL game.
When was Pittsburgh’s last win over Kansas City?
On 2 October 2016, when the Steelers won 43–14 in Pittsburgh — before Patrick Mahomes became Kansas City’s starting quarterback.
Conclusion
The Chiefs vs Steelers rivalry tells two stories at once. Pittsburgh owns the history, 23–15 overall, built across five decades. Kansas City owns the present, with four straight wins, a 42–21 playoff rout, and a Christmas Day coronation that delivered the AFC’s top seed. The 29–10 win on 25 December 2024 was the most complete of the four: Mahomes in total control, Kelce making history twice, and a defence that sacked Wilson five times without its best player. Until Pittsburgh finds an answer to Mahomes, the historical edge will keep shrinking — and the next meeting will be the Steelers’ chance to stop the streak before it reaches five.