Chiefs’ playoff loss tough for Canadian Duvernay-Tardif to accept

However, it was nullified by a holding penalty. Kansas City tried again but Smith’s pass for Jeremy Maclin was incomplete.

The Chiefs pinned Pittsburgh on its five-yard line on the ensuing kickoff with 2:38 remaining but had to burn their final timeout following Le’Veon Bell’s two-yard run. The Steelers made a crucial third-down conversion on the ensuing possession then ran out the clock, ending Kansas City’s season.

Pittsburgh converted 7-of-15 third-down chances while Kansas City was just 2-of-9.

“It’s never easy when you realize the whole season is over,” Duvernay-Tardif said. “All the effort you put into every ball game (for it) to come down to a third-down conversion that the other team is able to make and then hit a knee . . . it’s hard to accept.”

The 2016 season was one of promise for the Chiefs. They finished atop the AFC West with a 12-4 record to secure the No. 2 playoff seed in the AFC and an opening-round bye.

It was also a solid third NFL campaign for the six-foot-five, 321-pound Duvernay-Tardif, Canadian university football’s top lineman in 2013. The 2014 sixth-round pick from McGill completed his second season as Kansas City’s starting right guard.

It all ended in a home playoff loss to a Pittsburgh squad that couldn’t find the end zone. Kicker Chris Boswell accounted for all of the Steelers’ points with an NFL playoff-record six field goals.

Conversely, the Chiefs scored two TDs, including Smith’s five-yard toss to Albert Wilson on their first drive of the game.

“I think our defence played really really well,” Duvernay-Tardif said. “I think it’s going to get a little bit harder to accept because that means as an offence we should’ve been able to win that game for our team and we weren’t able to.

“Yes, we scored two touchdowns . . . but we were not able to sustain drives throughout the whole game and we had a lot of penalties, turnovers. I think it was a little bit disappointing offensively.”

Despite the two teams combining for 10 penalties and 116 yards, the contest was a chippy affair with plenty of shoving and jawing after the play. Duvernay-Tardif chalked that up to playoff intensity.

“Football is a physical sport, it’s a sport where intimidation plays a bit of a role sometimes,” he said. “The Steelers take a lot of pride in that and our goal was to respond quickly.

“I think it was a little bit more intense than usual but at the same time, from my (brief) experience in the NFL this was a playoff tempo.”

It won’t be an off-season of total rest and recuperation for Duvernay-Tardif. He’ll be back in Montreal next month resuming his medical school studies by working at three area hospitals.

“Because we made it to the playoffs I switched my medical (school) schedule a little bit,” he said. “I’m starting a week after the Super Bowl . . . and instead of doing four months I’ll be doing three before I report to (organized team activities).”

Duvernay-Tardif, who is scheduled to complete his rookie deal with Kansas City at the end of next season, hopes to complete his medical degree in 2018.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: Precede Kansas City; RECASTS updates throughout.

by Canadian Press

Chiefs’ playoff loss tough for Canadian Duvernay-Tardif to accept

What's Trending