After a wild 18-16 Pittsburgh Steelers victory in the AFC Wild Card Round against the Cincinnati Bengals, the black and gold now turn their attention to Denver to face the Broncos. The two teams met in Week 15, and the Steelers overcame a 17-point deficit to beat the Broncos 34-27.
Here are a few key points for next week’s divisional round.
The Walking Wounded
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger admitted in his post-game press conference on Saturday that he told coach Mike Tomlin his arm wasn’t as strong after Vontaze Burfict sacked him fell on Roethlisberger’s shoulder. Roethlisberger did return for the last Steelers’ drive of the game to engineer a nine-play, 74-yard game-winning drive, however he was limited to mostly screen passes and quick routes.
The big question with Roethlisberger right now is likely not whether or not he can play next Sunday, but how well he can perform. If his throwing strength is hampered enough backup quarterback Landry Jones may have to start in his place. Jones did not inspire much confidence against the Bengals, going 2/5 and throwing what looked like the game-losing interception to Burfict. Who is under center in Denver will drastically affect how well the Steelers passing game will do against the top ranked defense in the NFL.
But Roethlisberger’s shoulder is not the only injury a Steelers player suffered Saturday.
Wide receiver Antonio Brown is undergoing the NFL’s concussion protocol after taking a hard shot from Burfict that caused Brown’s neck to snap forwarded when he hit the ground late in the fourth quarter. Brown was motionless on the ground for a few minutes before finally being helped to the sideline.
Brown, the Steelers’ 2015 Team MVP, is expected for Sunday. If he cannot go, the Steelers will lose Brown’s 136 catches, 1,834 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns from 2015. He also torched the Broncos in Week 15 for 16 catches, 189 yards and two scores.
Markus Wheaton, Martavis Bryant, Darrius Heyward-Bey and possibly rookie Sammie Coates would need to pick up Brown’s slack, along with tight end Heath Miller.
The Sherriff is Back
Just like in 2005, the sixth seed Steelers beat the Bengals and move on to face the top seed in the AFC quarterbacked by Peyton Manning.
Manning missed six games due to injury this season, including against the Steelers when Brock Osweiler started in his place, and had his worst season as a pro statistically. He only had seven touchdowns paired with 17 interceptions in 10 games, and his 6.80 yards per attempt average is the lowest since his rookie year in 1998.
What’s more is Manning has a 11-13 record in the playoffs, including a loss in his lone playoff matchup against the Steelers. In what will be almost 10 years ago to the day when they face off on Sunday, Manning was 22/38 with 290 passing yards and a touchdown as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
Against Osweiler, the Steelers shut out the Broncos’ passing attack in the second half when they played tighter press coverage and got more pressure out of their pass rush. While Manning’s arm is not what it once was, the Steelers pass rush will still need to get to Manning early and often to get him off his rhythm.
The Steelers pass defense has been much maligned in 2015, and allowed the Bengals offense led by rookie quarterback AJ McCarron to 16-straight fourth quarter points mostly through the air. The Steelers pass defense against one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history will certainly be something to watch.
Will He Return?
The other big injury-related storyline this week for the Steelers will be the health of running back DeAngelo Williams. If he is past his foot injury, he will reclaim his starting job.
But the last time the Steelers faced the Broncos, the running game was almost non-existent, rushing for only 26 yards on 14 carries against the third-ranked rush defense in the NFL.
Against the Bengals, Fitzgerald Toussaint finished with 58 rushing yards on 17 carries, and added four catches for 60 yards, while Jordan Todman chipped in 65 rushing yards on 11 carries. Toussaint’s ability to gain yards inside the tackles complemented Todman’s outside speed. The Steelers may need to return to their running back by committee strategy next Sunday.
Regardless of who starts at running back, the Steelers need to establish the run game if they want to avoid falling in another 17-point hole against the Broncos.
Don’t Bring Out the Laundry
The Steelers may have been their own worst enemy Saturday with all the penalties they took, and it almost cost them the win.
Shamarako Thomas didn’t even slow down before hitting Bengals punt returner Brandon Tate and drawing a 15-yard kick catch interference. Offensive line coach Mike Munchak drew a personal foul call when he shoved Bengals safety Reggie Nelson and cost the offense 15-yards. Will Allen’s pass interference call on A.J. Green at the goal line led to a Jeremy Hill touchdown.
In all, there were 10 penalties called on the Steelers for 142 yards. A case could be made that they were flagged as much as they were because they were playing arguably their most heated rival, one that featured plenty of extracurricular activity after the whistles blew.
However, Steelers need to play disciplined and cannot afford to give away free yards if they want to upset the top seed in the AFC.
