2003 · Week 2

Final

Steelers

Pittsburgh

QB Tommy Maddox

20·41

Chiefs

Kansas City

QB Trent Green

Arrowhead Stadium · outdoors · grass · 67°F · wind 10mph

Closing spread

KC -3.5

Total

48

Model margin

+3.9est.

KC perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Chiefs
  • Steelers

How each play moved the game.

Chiefs winsSteelers wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Steelersedge mapChiefs
  • -0.084EPA / play+0.124
  • 41.6%Success rate47.9%
  • -0.022EPA / dropback+0.163
  • -0.170EPA / rush+0.069
  • 7.5%Explosive rate10.6%
  • 36.1%Third-down rate42.4%
  • 54.7%Red-zone TD rate79.8%
  • 1.33Points / drive2.38
  • 2.5%Turnover rate1.6%
  • -0.051EPA / play allowed-0.012

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

All square 8–8 since 1999

KC have won 4 straight. Meetings average 45.3 points. KC are 10-6 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2024 · W17KC @ PIT2910KC
2021 · playoffsPIT @ KC2142KC
2021 · W16PIT @ KC1036KC
2018 · W2KC @ PIT4237KC
2017 · W6PIT @ KC1913PIT
2016 · playoffsPIT @ KC1816PIT
2016 · W4KC @ PIT1443PIT
2015 · W7PIT @ KC1323KC

Box score

Individual performances

Steelers

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Tommy Maddox28/4733613

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Amos Zereoue11484.40
Jerome Bettis471.80
Hines Ward155.00

Chiefs

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Trent Green15/2112512

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Priest Holmes261224.73
Dante Hall2199.50
Trent Green2-2-1.00

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +3.53.7%6.7%7.5%3.2%4.9%3.2%2.9%

Positive margins favour Chiefs; negative favour Steelers.

Half-point at risk

2.55%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

59.5%

Expected total

46.0est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+1.35
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+3.91