The Kansas City Chiefs fell from the ranks of the undefeated following a 19-13 loss to the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Oct. 15. Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (Bonita Vista Middle School/Helix High School) completed 19 of 34 passing attempts for 246 yards and one touchdown but was sacked three times in the loss.
The Chiefs led 3-2 early in the game following a safety by Pittsburgh and a 46-yard field goal by Harrison Butker.
The Steelers tacked on a touchdown and field goal to lead 12-3 through three quarters before Smith hit De’Anthony Thomas on a 57-yard scoring pass to trim the Chiefs’ deficit to 12-10.
But a 51-yard touchdown catch by Antonio Brown gave Pittsburgh (4-2) some breathing room with a 19-10 lead. Butker kicked a 33-yard field goal late in the game and hosts threatened again in the waning stages of the contest before a fourth-down pass by Smith fell incomplete.
Ben Roethlisberger passed for 252 yards with one touchdown and one interception to lead the Steelers to the win.
Pittsburgh out-gained Kansas City 439-251 in total yards.
The Chiefs (5-1) had a potential touchdown go awry when Demetrius Harris appeared to make a two-handed catch on a ball floated into the end zone by Smith on a fourth-down play. Harris came down in the end zone with two feet and had possession for two seconds. However, Steelers safety Sean Davis got a hand between one of Harris’ hands and the ball.
The pair came down and the ball came loose and the play was ruled incomplete.
The game was a rematch of last year’s playoff contest between the teams. Pittsburgh won that game 18-16.
On the season, Smith has thrown for 1,637 yards with 12 touchdowns and no interceptions. He maintains a 119.2 quarterback efficiency rating.
Kansas City returns to action with a key AFC West matchup Thursday, Oct. 19, at the Oakland Raiders (2-4). The Raiders have lost four consecutive games.
The Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are the NFL’s only 5-1 teams.
In other games on Sunday, Oct. 15:
John Fox (Castle Park High School/Southwestern College)
Chicago head coach John Fox saw his Bears snap a two-game losing streak with a 27-24 overtime win over the host Baltimore Ravens.
Fox recorded just his 11th win (against 27 losses) over parts of three seasons with the Bears.
“I thought it was a very gutsy performance by our team coming into a very tough place to win on the road,” Fox said in a postgame press conference. “Anytime you can get a ‘W’ it’s a tribute to those guys in the locker room. I’m talking about coaches and players. I’m proud of the way our guys played. It wasn’t always perfect but it seldom is.
“We’ve had the lead twice this season and we won both games. That helps your defense some … Their preparation this week was outstanding; I thought their resilience was outstanding.”
Mitchell Trubisky passed for 113 yards and one touchdown — a 27-yard pass play to Doin Sims — while Jordan Howard rushed 38 times for 167 yards to lead Chicago offensively.
The Bears were buttressed by a 90-yard interception return by Adrian Amos, a 21-yard halfback pass from Tarik Cohen to Zach Miller and a pair of field goals by Connor Barth.
Baltimore forced overtime by scoring the final 11 points of the game, including a critical two-point conversion, but Barth’s 40-yard field goal in overtime stood up as the game-winner.
The Bears (2-4) host the Carolina Panthers (4-2) in a non-divisional game on Sunday, Oct. 22.
Tony Jefferson (Eastlake High School)
Tony Jefferson had two tackles in a 27-24 overtime loss to Chicago. On the season, he has 30 tackles, including 21 solo stops, and two sacks.
The Ravens (3-3) travel to Minnesota (4-2) for a non-conference game on Sunday, Oct. 22.
Jason Myers (Mater Dei Catholic High School)
Jason Myers kicked a pair of extra-point conversions and made one of three field goal attempts in a 27-17 non-conference loss to the visiting Los Angles Rams.
Myers has made 11 of 15 field goal attempts this season and made 15 of 17 extra-point conversions.
The Jaguars (3-3) next have a key AFC South matchup in Indianapolis (2-4) on Sunday, Oct. 22.
Aztecs in the NFL: Week Six
San Diego State has 11 alums on rosters throughout the league
Midway through the NFL season, San Diego State University alumni are continuing to contribute to their teams in the league. San Diego State has 11 former players on rosters throughout the league, with three on practice squads and four on injured reserve.
A linebacker with the New York Giants, Calvin Munson recorded two solo tackles in a nationally televised 23-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Oct. 15. Playing in all six games of his rookie season, Munson has started a pair of games, making 15 tackles (10 solo, five assisted) with a sack.
Munson, who started all 41 games at outside linebacker from 2014-16 for SDSU, finished his collegiate career ranked sixth in tackles (301) and ninth in sacks (18.0). He was a three-time all-Mountain West pick, including a first-team selection each of his final two seasons. Munson signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent following the 2017 NFL Draft.
Also in the game against the Broncos, Munson’s teammate safety Nat Berhe assisted on one tackle, lining up for 13 plays on defense and 19 on special teams. In his fourth season with the New York Giants, Berhe has recorded one solo tackle and assisted on two others. For his career, he has made 38 tackles, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.
Berhe was a three-year starter from 2010-13 and was the first Aztec safety in the MW era (since 1999) to earn all-conference honors in three consecutive seasons.
Atlanta Falcons free safety Damontae Kazee lined up for 10 plays on special teams in Sunday’s 20-17 loss to the visiting Miami Dolphins. He has played in all five games during his rookie season with one start, recording 11 tackles (six solo, five assisted) with three forced fumbles.
A cornerback in college, Kazee was selected by the Falcons in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Kazee finished his final year with 65 tackles (45 solo), seven interceptions for 156 yards, eight pass breakups, three tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry en route to being named the MW Defensive Player of the Year for a second straight season. Kazee, a three-time all-MW selection over his career (first team in 2015-16, second team in 2014), finished with a school-record 17 interceptions, 30 pass breakups (sixth at SDSU) and 214 interception yards (seventh at SDSU).
Brice Butler and the Dallas Cowboys had a bye week last week. The fifth-year pro is averaging 25.9 yards per reception with eight catches through five games, and four of his plays are for 30 yards or more. In his lone season with San Diego State in 2012 following a three-year career at USC, Butler played in all 13 games with eight starts, recording 24 catches for 347 yards and four touchdowns. He was a seventh-round pick of the Oakland Raiders in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Arizona Cardinals starting long snapper Aaron Brewer, Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Nico Siragusa, Dallas Cowboys defensive back Leon McFadden and Philadelphia Eagles running back Donnel Pumphrey are on their teams’ respective injured lists.
Offensive linemen Daniel Brunskill (Atlanta Falcons), defensive end Alex Barrett (Detroit Lions), and Darrell Greene (Green Bay Packers) are on their teams’ respective practice squads.
