AFC Wild-card round Steelers (12-4) at Broncos (8-8)
When » Sunday, 4:30 p.m.
Where » Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver
TV » CBS
Storylines
1 Where’s the magic? » After leading the Broncos to unfathomable fourth-quarter comebacks and winning six straight games, quarterback Tim Tebow seems to have lost the magic. And with no magic, he’s just a bad quarterback. Since 2006, only one other quarterback completed less than 50 percent of his passes — JaMarcus Russell in 2009. Tebow has also turned the ball over seven times during Denver’s three-game skid.
2 Health is an issue » Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be playing with a sprained left ankle, running back Rashard Mendenhall is out with a torn ACL and leading tackler Ryan Clark will miss the game because of sickle cell trait. Playing through the injury, Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ offense struggled last week against the Browns, passing for just 221 yards and scoring 13 points in the win.
Key matchup
Broncos RBs vs. Steelers LBs
With Tebow under center, the Broncos have become the top rushing team in the league, averaging 164.5 yards a game. The Steelers rank eighth in rush defense (99.8 yards a game). Running back Willis McGahee, who ran for a team-high 1,199 yards, must be effective to slow a pass rush led by Steelers linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, who have 9.0 sacks each.
Last meeting
Steelers 28, Broncos 10 (Nov. 9, 2009) » Replacing Clark because of his rare blood disorder, Tyrone Carter intercepted Kyle Orton twice, bringing one back for a touchdown. Roethlisberger threw for three scores, and the Steelers won their fifth straight game. Both teams left with a 6-2 record, but both collapsed in the final eight games and missed the playoffs.
By the numbers
11.5 » Sacks by Broncos rookie linebacker Von Miller — third most in the AFC.
2 » Steelers receivers with 1,000 yards this season — Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown. The Patriots were the only other AFC team with multiple players with 1,000 yards.
Examiner predicts …
Steelers 17, Broncos 10
The Steelers’ offense will struggle but not nearly as badly as the Broncos. Denver, coming off losses to the Patriots, Bills and Chiefs, just isn’t playing well. Roethlisberger will make a few big plays, and that will be enough for the victory.
