Steelers' Naughty And Nice List After Brutal Week 17 Christmas Day Loss To Chiefs

The Pittsburgh Steelers always knew that the backend of the 2024 schedule was going to be a gauntlet. The final contest of a three-game stretch in 11 days commenced on Christmas Day as the Kansas City Chiefs came to town. It went extremely poorly as Andy Reid's group came in and demolished Mike Tomlin's unit by a score 29-10.

In the honor of the Christmas spirit, the Steelers had several players make Santa Claus' naughty and nice list. Let's start with the ones who will have plenty of gifts under the tree once they get home.

Nice

1.) Jaylen Warren

It's time for the Steelers' coaching staff to recognize that Jaylen Warren is the best ball-carrier on the roster. He was one of the bright spots for Pittsburgh early in the game and it's safe to say that the only reason he isn't the clear-cut starting running back is because of his past fumble issues. 

The back has potentially solidified his position as the team's lead ball-carrier over Najee Harris. It will be interesting to see how the duo shares snaps moving forward, but the end of the Harris era in Pittsburgh is near, and Warren is proving to be a worthy successor. Warren proved to be effective in both the rushing and receiving games throughout the contest. The six and a half yards per carry confirm that he needs to get the ball more often.

2.) George Pickens

There was no doubt that the Steelers missed George PIckens desperately during the three-game stretch that he was out due to a hamstring injury. The offense never really got going, but he was the number one wide receiver that everyone is understanding him to be. The offense's inability to create splash plays without him was recognized in the first quarter when he hauled in a 41-yard catch.

He didn't light up the stat sheet, but his presence was felt. The team will need to get him some help in 2025, but for now, it's critical that the Steelers get him the ball as often as possible. On the negative side, his attitude and hot head was evident throughout, as his emotions were shown on the broadcast more than once.

3.) Cameron Heyward

It's been pretty incredible to watch veteran defensive lineman Cameron Heyward in 2024. After a 2023 campaign saw him deal with injuries, he has come back better than ever at 35 years of age. His motor was evident early against the Chiefs, and he made it a point to be all over the place throughout. Heyward found his way into the backfield several times and did what he could to disrupt the Chiefs' offense.

Unfortunately, Heyward went down early in the fourth quarter with an injury, which has to be looked at as concerning. He did return, but it will certainly be something to keep an eye on during the team's mini-bye week.

4.) Mark Robinson

An unexpected bright spot during the Steelers' three-game losing streak has been the special teams play of Mark Robinson. He forced a fumble in the first quarter on a punt, but unfortunately, it was not recovered by the Steelers. In a year that has seen the linebacker not get much time on defense, he has made a name for himself on special teams.

Naughty

1.) First-Quarter Offense

Pittsburgh started the game with two straight three-and-outs, which dug the team a deep hole. Afterwards, the unit had a drive going after the beautiful 41-yard catch from Pickens. Unfortunately, an interception was thrown in the end zone and the Steelers were losing 13-0 by the end of the first 15 minutes. This wasn't an ideal start for a group at home with AFC North title hopes, and it's an issue that plagued the Steelers for several years.

2.) Defensive Secondary

Not having Joey Porter Jr. healthy really hurt the Steelers' defense. Anytime Patrick Mahomes is on the other side of the ball, it's going to be difficult to neutralize his offense, but the future Hall of Famer absolutely picked apart Pittsburgh's secondary. Whenever a team is going up against Mahomes, it understands that his dominance is inevitable, but it was on full display in the Steel City.

3.) Pass Protection

Russell Wilson seemed to be under pressure throughout the game. A Chiefs defense was missing Chris Jones, but that didn't hurt the group's ability to get after the quarterback. Wilson had to scramble several times and was sacked more than once as a result. Because of this, Wilson was running all over the place and had a season-high in rushing yards. Overall, the offensive line needs to take a long look in the mirror with the postseason around the corner.

4.) Najee Harris

It appears as if Harris is occasionally running in quick sand, which is why Warren's explosiveness is such a welcomed trait when he's in the game. Since Warren was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, he has proven that he is capable of averaging more yards per carry and breaking more tackles than Harris. 

He averaged over four yards per carry thanks to a couple of garbage time runs, but it wasn't pretty overall. The tape won't lie when the coaching staff takes a look at it ahead of a Week 18 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

5.) Steelers' Offensive Play-Calling Led By Arthur Smith

The first-half offense for Pittsburgh was, to be nice, awful. Without a couple big runs from Warren and a couple of catches from Pickens, it would have been a very tough scene to watch. As the playoffs quickly approach, the team's offensive play-caller in Arthur Smith needs to figure out a way to have his unit be much more consistent throughout the course of games.

6.) Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin

If one coordinator is going to catch some heat, the other should, too. Pittsburgh's defense has been abysmal for three straight weeks and it did not perform at a high level on Wednesday, either. Teryl Austin has been out-coached for the majority of December, and Tomlin deserves just as much blame with the amount of say he has in the defense. The coaching staff wasn't ready for the Chiefs, but Kansas City was absolutely read for Pittsburgh.

Who made your naughty and nice lists after the Steelers' Christmas Day game against the Chiefs? Let us know in the comments below!

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