Teacher Faces Ex-Pupil : Pro football: Chiefs and Schottenheimer are matched against Steelers and Cowher, a former Chief assistant, in wild-card game.

Driving home after last Sunday’s game, Coach Marty Schottenheimer of the Kansas City Chiefs pondered the possibility of the Chiefs playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in a wild-card playoff game.

Schottenheimer reasoned that it would be an uncomfortable situation, given that he had groomed Steeler Coach Bill Cowher.

Cowher played linebacker for three seasons under Schottenheimer in Cleveland, and was an assistant coach under him for seven seasons at Cleveland and Kansas City before taking the Pittsburgh job in 1992.

“We were driving home and I told my wife (Pat), ‘On the one hand, I wanted to see Billy get in (the playoffs),’ ” Schottenheimer said.

“But on the other hand, I don’t really want to play against him because of our relationship. Then I figured, ‘Nah, let him get in and then let us go do battle.’ ”

Schottenheimer gets the matchup he both wanted and didn’t want when the Steelers (9-7) meet the Chiefs (11-5) today at Arrowhead Stadium.

Will it be emotional for Cowher?

“I’m past all that,” he said. “It’s good to go back to Kansas City and see some old friends. We’ll take care of business and then get out of town.”

Schottenheimer stressed defense and forcing turnovers for years, and it didn’t fall on deaf ears with Cowher, whose Pittsburgh defense has made it an art form. So it should come as no surprise if the Chiefs and the Steelers score lower than the sub-20-degree temperature expected at kickoff.

Sure, the Chiefs have Joe Montana, the quarterback with enough Super Bowl rings to make a set of brass knuckles.

Sure, Kansas City tailback Marcus Allen led the AFC with 15 touchdowns, including 12 by rushing.

But consider that Pittsburgh has the AFC’s top-ranked defense, holding opponents to 283.2 yards a game.

The Steelers have forced 11 more turnovers than they have given up, tying them for third in the league.

They feature two of the league’s best linebackers in Pro Bowl selection Greg Lloyd, who has 111 tackles and six sacks, and Kevin Greene, the former Ram whom the Steelers signed as an unrestricted free agent.

Greene is fifth in the conference with 12 1/2 sacks but has been slowed by a bruised knee. Cornerback Rod Woodson, the league’s defensive player of the year with 95 tackles and eight interceptions, will play despite a strained hamstring.

“When you have people like Lloyd and Woodson, you’re going to match up against anybody you play,” Schottenheimer said. “They have excellent speed and quickness.”

Kansas City’s defense, which surrenders 298.2 yards a game, fourth-best in the AFC, is led by defensive end Neil Smith, who leads the league with 15 sacks. Smith is a Pro Bowl selection, as is Derrick Thomas, who has struggled this season after moving from outside linebacker to defensive end.

They will be up against a Pittsburgh offense that has scored more than two touchdowns in a game only once in its last seven games. Quarterback Neil O’Donnell has passed for a career-high 14 touchdowns but has been inconsistent at times. The Steelers’ leading receiver is a tight end -- Eric Green with 63 catches for 942 yards.

And the Steelers will be without their best offensive weapon, tailback Barry Foster, who underwent ankle surgery late last month. Leroy Thompson has played well in place of Foster, gaining 763 yards in 205 carries.

“Foster’s absence obviously hurts them,” Schottenheimer said. “But Thompson is an excellent back who has great quickness and speed.”

Despite the loss of Foster, Pittsburgh has recovered from an 0-2 start, including a 27-0 loss to the Rams, to reach the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

If the Steelers win today, they will play at Buffalo in the next round. A Kansas City victory would send the Chiefs to Houston.

Schottenheimer is 3-7 in playoff games, and the Steelers are 6-0 against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium since 1974, including a 27-3 defeat last season, one of Schottenheimer’s worst losses as the Chiefs’ coach.

It’s a loss the Chiefs’ fans won’t soon forget.

All week, Kansas City TV stations have replayed footage of the Pittsburgh bench celebrating late in the game, with Foster, Woodson and Green laughing, joking and mocking the fans’ tomahawk chop.

AFC PLAYOFFS

TODAY’S GAME

* Opponents: Kansas City vs. Pittsburgh.

* Site: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.

* Time: 9:30 a.m. PST

* Records: Chiefs 11-5, Steelers 9-7.

* TV: KNX (1070).

* Radio: Channel 7.