NFL Wild Card Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Denver Broncos
Sunday, January 08, 2012
by Joe Rodriguez
The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the playoffs with running back Rashard Mendenhall out for the season with a knee injury and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hobbled by a high ankle sprain.
So, it begs the obvious question for pundits as the Steelers prepare to visit the Denver Broncos on Sunday night in an AFC wild card matchup: Is Roethlisberger more effective on one leg than Tim Tebow is on two?
Tebow, as has been the case all season, will again be under the microscope when he leads Denver into its first playoff game since the 2005 season. The much-maligned Tebow directed the Broncos to six consecutive wins, including four fourth-quarter comebacks, but the wheels have come off during a three-game losing streak.
- Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos
When: 4:30 PM ET, Sunday, January 8, 2012
Where: Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
TV: CBS
The Steelers have opened as 8-point favorites on SBG Global Sportsbook’s Live NFL Football Odds.
Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4): Pittsburgh was in contention for the No. 1 seed entering last weekend. Roethlisberger said he aggravated his ankle in the win at Cleveland and has struggled since suffering the initial injury in Week 14, but the Steelers have their defense to fall back upon. Pittsburgh allowed a league-low 227 points and has held five of its last six opponents under 10 points. During that span, the Steelers did now permit a touchdown in four of the games. Isaac Redman stepped in for Mendenhall and ran for a career-high 92 yards last week. Although Roethlisberger has struggled since hurting the ankle, he has won two Super Bowls and lost in last season’s title game to Green Bay.
Denver Broncos (8-8): The Tebow magic appears to have run out, particularly in back-to-back losses to the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. His passer ratings in those games were ghastly – 37.9 and 20.6, respectively. Tebow was wretched in last week’s 7-3 home defeat against the Chiefs, throwing for only 60 yards on 6-of-22 passing. He has been intercepted four times in the last two weeks and has committed 10 turnovers in the last five games. Expect the Broncos to lean heavily on running back Willis McGahee, who rumbled for 1,199 yards this season. McGahee, however, struggled against the Steelers in three seasons with Baltimore, managing only 183 yards on 61 attempts in six games.
1. Roethlisberger has a 10-3 career record in the postseason.
2. The Broncos and Steelers have split six playoff matchups. The winner went to the Super Bowl on five of those occasions.
3. “People say he can’t throw the ball, he can’t do this. He finds a way to win.” – Roethlisberger on Tebow.
NHL PREDICTION: Steelers 24, Broncos 13. Pittsburgh’s defense overwhelms Tebow and sends Denver to a fourth straight loss.
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ben roethlisberger - denver broncos - isaac redman - pittsburgh steelers - rashard mendenhall - sports authority field at mile high - tim tebow - willis mcgahee
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