2016 Divisional: Steelers at Broncos

Game day from the Mile High City. AFC Divisional Round versus Denver.
Countdown to Kickoff:
http://www.steelers.com/news/countdo...d-35d5caf70e11
"Countdown to kickoff: Steelers at Broncos
Posted Jan 16, 2016
By Mike Prisuta
The Steelers head to Denver to take on the Broncos in an AFC Divisional Playoff game.
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-6) vs. Denver Broncos (12-4)
Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016
Sports Authority Field at Mile High
4:40 p.m.
CBS
VIEW GALLERY | 50 Photos
PHOTOS: Last Matchup - Steelers(34) Broncos(27)
SERIES HISTORY: Broncos lead, 14-8-1 (Broncos lead, 4-3, postseason)
LAST MEETING: Steelers 34, Broncos 27, Dec. 20, 2015, Heinz Field: The Broncos took a 27-10 lead in the first half but the Steelers responded by kicking a field goal with four seconds left in the second quarter and with 21 more unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters. WR Antonio Brown had 16 catches for 189 yards and two TDs and WR Martavis Bryant had 10 catches for 87 yards. They were the main targets for QB Ben Roethlisberger, who completed 40 of 55 attempts for 380 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Denver QB Brock Osweiler was 21-for-44 for 296 yards with three TDs and an INT.
LAST TIME OUT: The Steelers surrendered 16 fourth-quarter points and a 15-0 lead but rallied to beat the Bengals, 18-16, on a 35-yard field goal with 14 seconds left in regulation on Jan. 9 in Cincinnati. The Broncos had a first-round bye. Denver beat San Diego, 27-20, in its regular-season finale on Jan. 3 in Denver.
WHEN THE BRONCOS HAVE THE BALL: They’ll most likely run the same offense they did on Dec. 20; the difference is Peyton Manning will be at QB this time. At 39 and coming off an injury that sidelined him for six of the last seven games, Manning’s overall effectiveness remains to be seen. Manning threw for nine touchdowns and was intercepted 17 times in nine starts this season, his 18th in the NFL, before being removed (foot) on Nov. 15 against Kansas City. He completed five of nine passes for 69 yards upon replacing Osweiler in the regular-season finale against San Diego.
Manning was under center for 11 of his 29 snaps against the Chargers, an indication he’s regained just enough mobility to make the drops and get back to hand the ball off. He’s relying much more on anticipation, timing and accuracy than he is arm strength but his ability to dissect a defense and get the Broncos into the right play at the right time is as seemingly as sharp as ever. He’ll impact the game pre-snap in that fashion. Two of his throws against the Chargers went at least 30 yards down the field, so shots down the field aren’t out of the question. But chances are the ball is going to come out of the pocket quickly and won’t sizzle toward its intended target. And if he has to he’ll accept a sack.
Like last time, both starting OTs are on the reserve/injured list (Ryan Clady, Ty Sambrailo). And like last time, the Broncos can be expected to attempt to establish outside-zone runs, off which they can look for cutback lanes or run play-action bootlegs (not entirely out of Manning’s wheelhouse). The idea is to cut-block the backside pursuit and open up options for RBs Ronnie Hillman (the speed back) and C.J. Anderson (the power back).
WR Emmanuel Sanders had 10 catches and 181 receiving yards in the first meeting with the Steelers, including eight receptions, 139 yards and a 61-yard TD in a first half that saw him repeatedly exploit coverage breakdowns. WR Demaryius Thomas had a 72-yard catch-and-run TD against the Chargers (a 5-yard catch and a 67-yard run) and beat the Steelers with a similar 80-yard score in overtime in the 2011 postseason. TE Owen Daniels has been a problem for the Steelers in Houston and Baltimore previously. Denver had the No. 16 offense in the NFL in the regular season (17th rushing, 14th passing) and was No. 28 in the red zone (TDs 47.7 percent of the time).
VIEW GALLERY | 22 Photos
PHOTOS: Steelers/Broncos Statistical Leaders
WHEN THE STEELERS HAVE THE BALL: Chances are they’ll see the same Denver defense they did in the first meeting; the difference this time is SS T.J. Ward and FS Darian Stewart are both in line to start. That would bolster a defense that finished No. 1 in total defense (283.1 yards per game), No. 1 in pass defense (199.6), No. 1 in sacks (52), No. 3 (tied) in defensive touchdowns (five) and No. 4 in scoring defense (18.5 points per game).
DE Derek Wolfe, NT Sylvester Wolfe and DE Malik Jackson comprise an aggressive, penetrating front. And ILBs Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall became Denver’s first 100-tackles tandem (110/101) since 2009. All that activity helps the Broncos win first down (No. 2 in yards per first down play at 4.25). So does Denver’s affinity for an eight-man box. Winning first down allows the Broncos to turn their pass rush loose. The Broncos got their league-leading 52 sacks from 14 different players, including 11 that had multiple sacks. OLB Von Miller led the way with 11, followed by OLB DeMarcus Ware (7.5). Denver likes to blitz and finished No. 2 in the NFL in opponent passer rating against the blitz (69.4).
CBs Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. have both been selected for the Pro Bowl. Harris Jr. usually moves into the slot in the sub-package nickel and CB/S Bradley Roby normally plays outside in such situations. But the last time the Broncos played the Steelers, they had Harris Jr. follow Brown. Talib has the most interceptions by a CB (30) and the most interception returns for a touchdown (eight) since he entered the NFL in 2008. Ward is second among NFL DBs with 19 tackles for a loss since 2013. The secondary likes press-man coverage and expects to win one-on-one matchups for as long as it takes the pass rush to get home, which often isn’t very long.
SPECIAL-TEAMS HEADLINERS: S Omar Bolden has an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown this season but has been inactive the last four games. WR Jordan Norwood had a 71-yard touchdown return on a punt that was downed but wasn’t covered by the Steelers (it was called back on an illegal substitution penalty). K Brandon McManus had touchbacks on 70.4 percent of his kickoffs (fourth in the NFL) and had five field goals of 50-plus yards (5-for-7), including 56- and 57-yard efforts on Sept. 13 against Baltimore.
THE X-FACTOR: Mike Tomlin is more concerned with execution than elevation. “I don’t care about altitude,” he said. But the Broncos like to push the tempo at home when applicable, especially in the second half, in an effort to maximize the perceived altitude factor. Can the Steelers hold up for 60 minutes or longer if they have to at Mile High? Denver’s up-tempo approach hurt the Steelers in the teams’ first meeting.
THEY SAID IT: “I’m more confident in them. They have a good idea that this doesn’t come along very often. Each step you take in advancing toward the Super Bowl, you have to raise your level of intensity a little more. I think they’re enjoying that part of it.
“Those guys are competitors and I’m proud of them for that, being the competitors that they are. We’re not always a great defense but they do a lot of good things a lot of times.” - defensive coordinator Keith Butler on the defense."
By the Numbers:
http://www.steelers.com/news/by-the-...3-34586fb0088e
"By The Numbers: We meet again
Posted Jan 16, 2016
Teresa Varley
Steelers.com
@Teresa_Varley
The Steelers are no stranger to playing the Broncos in the postseason.
8
Sunday will be the eighth time the Steelers and Broncos meet in the postseason, a team they have had more postseason matchups with than any other. The Steelers are 3-4 against the Broncos in postseason play, including 2-2 in Divisional Playoff games.
34
The Steelers win in the Wild Card round last week was the team’s 34th postseason win, tying the Dallas Cowboys for most postseason wins in NFL history.
57
For fans who love seeing their team in the postseason, the Steelers have delivered throughout the years. The Steelers have played in 57 playoff games, second only to the Dallas Cowboys who lead the NFL with 60 playoff game appearances.
24
The Steelers have played in the Divisional Playoff round 24 times in their storied history and have won 15 of those games.
48
Heath Miller tied Hall of Famer Lynn Swann with the fourth-most receptions in Steelers’ postseason history with 48 career postseason catches.
11
With his 11th postseason win last week, Ben Roethlisberger has the fifth-best win percentage, .688, in NFL playoff history (minimum 15 starts).
49
Linebacker James Harrison has recorded 49 tackles, 33 or them solo stops, in 15 career postseason games."
7 Things to Watch for:
http://www.steelers.com/news/article...f-e7d17fe8b811
"7 things to watch for at Denver
Posted 2 hours ago
Here are a few things to keep an eye on when the Steelers face the Broncos is the AFC Divisional Playoff game.
VIEW GALLERY | 22 Photos
PHOTOS: Steelers/Broncos Statistical Leaders
What to keep an eye on in the AFC Divisional Round Game against the Broncos:
PRESSURE AND PROTECTION: The Broncos led the NFL in sacks in the regular season with 52 and the Steelers finished third with 48. Protecting the quarterback on both sides will need to be an all-day proposition.
ENCORE PERFORMANCE: Broncos OLBs Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware combined for 18.5 sacks this season (11 for Miller, 7.5 for Ware) but had zero tackles, zero sacks and one quarterback hit between them in the Steelers’ 34-27 victory on Dec. 20 at Heinz Field (Miller had the QB hit, Ware wasn’t listed on the stat sheet despite playing 31 snaps). Can the Steelers handle them as well this time as they did last time for as long as it takes?
BIG BOY PADS: The Broncos like to establish the run and will try to do so against a Steelers’ defense that finished fifth in the NFL in run defense (91.2 yards per game). The Steelers also finished No.2 in rushing TDs allowed (six) and tied for No. 2 with the Seahawks in rushing first downs allowed (71). Denver had 13 rushing touchdowns and 19 passing TDs in 2015.
The Steelers, likewise, value the running game and will be tasked with establishing one against the NFL’s No. 3 run defense (83.4 yards per game).
START FAST, FINISH STRONG: The first meeting between the teams featured the Broncos sprinting to a 27-10 lead and the Steelers rallying for 24 unanswered points. Can the Steelers do better at the outset and avoid a halftime deficit similar to the 27-13 hole they found themselves in at the break the last time? And can the Broncos produce a stronger finish? Denver was shutout in the second half on Dec. 6 at San Diego, on Dec. 13 against Oakland and on Dec. 20 at Pittsburgh.
THE TURNOVER EFFECT: The Broncos’ minus 4 showing in takeaway/giveaway included an NFL-high 23 interceptions and 31 giveaways (tied for the third-most behind Dallas and Tennessee’s 33 each). Can the Steelers induce turnovers and take advantage? Or, can the Broncos work around giveaways as well as they did in their regular-season finale against the Chargers, when Denver turned it over five times and won, 27-20?
TIMELY TURNOVERS: The Steelers tied for the NFL lead in red zone takeaways by collecting seven of their 30 inside the 20-yard line (six interceptions, one fumble recovery; the Jets and Saints also had seven). Turnovers have a way of becoming more impactful in such situations.
NEXT MAN UP: The Steelers have gone 8-3 without All-Pro RB Le’Veon Bell and All-Pro C Maurkice Pouncey in the lineup this season (7-3 in the regular season). Can they also replace All-Pro WR Antonio Brown and keep the ball rolling?"
Game Coverage:
http://www.steelers.com/news/article...f-5c3763f4228d
"Steelers Divisional Playoff Game coverage
Posted 1 hour ago
How to follow the Steelers' AFC Divisional Playoff Game from wherever you are.
AFC Divisional Round
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos
Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Kickoff: 4:40 p.m. ET
Radio
WDVE-FM (102.5)
Stream: Steelers.com & Steelers Nation Radio
For a complete list of our radio affiliates, click here
Steelers Radio Broadcast Team
Play-By-Play: Bill Hillgrove
Color Analyst: Tunch Ilkin
Sideline Reporter: Craig Wolfley
Pregame Show: Noon-4:00 p.m. ET
Postgame Show: Immediately following the game

TV
CBS (KDKA-TV)
Broadcast Team
Play-By-Play: Jim Nantz
Color Analyst: Phil Simms
Sideline Reporter: Tracy Wolfson
KDKA Pregame Show: 3:00-4:00 p.m.
KDKA Postgame Show: Immediately following the game

International fans can watch live on NFL Game Pass.
Domestic residents can watch replay on the following day on NFL Game Pass.

Follow the game on social media:
Steelers.com Game Center, click here
Twitter: @steelers
Facebook: Pittsburgh Steelers
Instagram: @steelers
Snapchat: steelers"