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STEELERS 18, CHIEFS 16

Steelers edge Chiefs, get Patriots in AFC title game

Steelers kicker Chris Boswell watched a 43-yard field goal sail through the uprights during the second half.Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Who needs to reach the end zone when you have Le’Veon Bell chewing up yards and the clock, and Chris Boswell setting an NFL playoff record with six field goals?

Throw in a stingy Pittsburgh defense for most of Sunday night, and a multitude of mistakes by Kansas City, and the Steelers’ 18-16 victory sent them into the AFC Championship game.

The Steelers (13-5) needed to hold off a last-ditch threat by the Chiefs (12-5) before advancing to face New England next Sunday night for a spot in the Super Bowl. The Patriots won at Pittsburgh, 27-16, in Week 7 but Ben Roethlisberger was injured and didn’t play.

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‘‘I think it’s going to be a showdown,’’ Bell said. ‘‘Two great quarterbacks going head to head. Two of the best teams in the AFC. It’s time to settle it next week.’’

Since 2001, the Patriots and Steelers have combined to win nine AFC titles.

In Las Vegas, oddsmakers made the Patriots and Falcons favorites to meet in the Super Bowl. Atlanta is a 4-point favorite to beat Green Bay at home next Sunday, while New England is a 5.5-point pick at most sports books to beat the Steelers. The Patriots opened as a 4.5-point favorite against the Steelers, but money came in on the Patriots like it has all season in sports books, pushing the point spread up.

Spencer Ware’s 1-yard touchdown run took Kansas City within 18-16. The Chiefs at first converted the 2-pointer to tie it, but tackle Eric Fisher — the first overall selection in the 2013 draft — was penalized for holding James Harrison. The next try failed.

With 2:43 remaining, Justin Gilbert misplayed the kick return and was tackled at the Pittsburgh 5. Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for 7 yards on third down and Pittsburgh then ran out the clock, securing a ninth straight victory for the Steelers. The Chiefs have not won a home playoff game since 1994, losing five in a row.

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The scoring started furiously in the opening minutes, then the game became a kicking exhibition by Boswell, who also had six field goals in the regular season against Cincinnati. And Bell put on a virtuoso running performance, patiently finding holes and then exploding through them. He added a team-record 170 yards rushing to the 167 he had in a win over Miami last week.

‘‘The coaches put a lot of trust in me to get the job done,’’ Bell said of his 30 carries. ‘‘Just run hard. Just picked my spots where I could and run hard.’’

The Steelers became first team to win a playoff game without a TD since eventual Super Bowl champion Indianapolis in the 2006 AFC divisional round at Baltimore.

Using a no-huddle attack almost to perfection early on, the Steelers drove deep into Kansas City territory. But they bogged down inside the 5 and Boswell made a 22-yard field goal.

The Chiefs were just as efficient on a six-play march capped by receiver Albert Wilson lining up in the backfield, then slipping uncovered into the end zone for a 5-yard score.

Pittsburgh’s answer came on a 52-yard heave to All-Pro Brown, who somehow was covered by linebacker Justin Houston. That led to Boswell’s second field goal, a 38-yarder. He added a 36-yarder to cap a 14-play drive on which Pittsburgh again barely huddled.

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A clean game up until then turned to, well, turnovers, on successive series. Bud Dupree pounded Alex Smith, whose pass shot high into the air and was caught by linebacker Ryan Shazier.

The Steelers got to the Kansas City 5, where Frank Zombo leaped to deflect Roethlisberger’s throw, and All-Pro safety Eric Berry — burned for 26 yards on the previously play — picked it off in the end zone.

Boswell’s fourth field goal, from 45 yards, made it 12-7 at the half. His 43-yarder, setting the franchise record for a postseason game and tying the league mark of five, came on Pittsburgh’s first series of the second half. A 43-yarder midway in the fourth quarter gave Boswell the NFL record.

‘‘It’s just about doing my job,’’ Boswell said. ‘‘Coming out here, put it through the yellow pipes. Don’t really think too much. Don’t think like I’m the guy or anything. I’m just doing my job and doing my one-eleventh for the team.’’

Kansas City’s Cairo Santos got in on the kicking act with a 48-yarder to make it 15-10. At that point, 10 seconds from the end of the third quarter, the Chiefs were outgained 333 yards to 150.

Everyone was so worried about ice hitting Kansas City for the divisional round of the playoffs, nobody gave much thought to fog rolling into town.

With temperatures warmer than expected for the game, which was moved to Sunday night because of the forecast, a misty fog descended on Arrowhead Stadium. It obscured the lights in the upper corners of the stadium and kept drifting across the field throughout the first half. It hardly helped matters when smoke from the fireworks mixed with the mist.

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Not that the weather seemed to be putting a damper on the fans. They packed the stadium for the Chiefs’ first home playoff game since January 2011 well before kickoff.