Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos: NFL Playoff Pick
By Erik Lambert
Two old playoff rivals lock horns in the NFL playoffs yet again as the Pittsburgh Steelers seek the upset of the #1 seed Denver Broncos up at Mile High. Which team gets the win and advances to the AFC championship?
Backdrop:
It could be a tale of the walking wounded in this game. The Steelers may have made it past Cincinnati in the wild card, but it might’ve cost them their two best players. Antonio Brown may not play due to the head injury he suffered from that hit by Vontaze Burfict while Ben Roethlisberger must battle a sprain in the AC joint of his throwing shoulder courtesy of another hit by the Bengals linebacker.
Those two are critical to the success Pittsburgh has. On the other side, the Broncos are well-rested and Peyton Manning is back under center, apparently as fresh and healthy as he’ll get this season. The 39-year old came off the bench in week 17 to jumpstart the offense. The running game is working and the defense remains a force. Revenge is clearly on their mind for the loss they suffered to the Steelers earlier in the year.
Matchup To Watch:
WR Emmanuel Sanders vs. FS Mike Mitchell
Thanks to wet, cold conditions the Bengals never really tested Steelers safety Mike Mitchell down the field in the wild card round. Expect that to change in Denver as Manning will look for some big plays early to deep threat Emmanuel Sanders. Mitchell, while a good run defenders has proven vulnerable at times in coverage, as has the rest of the Steelers secondary. This could be the matchup that decides much of the contest, especially late.
Key Stat:
Pittsburgh ran the ball quite effectively in Cincinnati for 167 yards despite not having Le’Veon Bell or DeAngelo Williams. Can they expect the same success up in Denver against a Broncos defense that has allowed just 83.6 yards per game on the ground this season? Given the status of Roethlisberger, they better hope so otherwise it could be a long game for the Steelers.
It should be close early as Denver looks to knock off some rust from a week off, but soon it will become apparent how limited the Steelers are due to the injury situation. Peyton Manning won’t go off or anything, but he’ll direct the offense to enough points to build a comfortable lead and the defense will shut the door late.