Pittsburgh traveled to Cleveland in Week 17 needing a win plus a Baltimore loss to secure the AFC North title and a first-round bye. The Steelers were able to defeat the Browns 13-9, but Baltimore knocked off Cincinnati to send Pittsburgh to the No. 5 seed and a Wild Card matchup in Denver.
The Steelers found themselves in a 6-0 hole late in the first half after a pair of Phil Dawson field goals for the Browns. Pittsburgh drove inside Browns territory on its first three drives of the game, but couldn’t put any points on the board.
On the team’s first drive of the game, the Steelers turned it over on downs at Cleveland’s 32, and then Roethlisberger was sacked for a 9-yard loss to move back of potential field-goal range on the second possession. The third time Pittsburgh got the ball, they again drove down the field, but Shaun Suisham’s 45-yard field goal missed wide left to keep the Steelers scoreless.
Pittsburgh got the ball back with 1:01 left in the first half and again marched down the field all the way do the Cleveland 1-yard line with 11 seconds left on the clock. After two incomplete passes, Suisham converted a 19-yard field goal as time expired to make the score 6-3 in Cleveland’s favor at the half.
The Steelers opened the second half with the ball and again positioned itself inside the Browns red zone, but again had to settle for a field goal to knot the score at 6-6.
After Troy Polamalu intercepted Seneca Wallace’s pass, Pittsburgh found the end zone for the first time on Isaac Redman’s 7-yard run. Redman played in place of Rashard Mendenhall, who was lost for the season with a knee injury earlier in the game.
The Browns added a field goal late in the third quarter to cut the Pittsburgh lead to 13-9, but that would be the final margin as the Browns’ final drive came up just short, stalling at the Pittsburgh 24 as time expired in the fourth quarter.
Redman filled in well for Mendenhall, finishing with 19 carries for 92 yards and one touchdown. Antonio Brown led the Steelers receivers with six catches for 90 yards. Roethlisberger finished 23-of-40 for 221 yards.
-Stuart Zaas
lol i was first twice today
Call me when you do it 5 times in a row, LOL.
I agree with Tom Jackson, Pitt was dumb to play big Ben in that Cleveland game, they didn’t gain anything by it, but it’s all good by us of course.
lol bay that would make me feel like i had no life if that were to happen. lol watch it happen now.
get a life
Well you would have a Bronco life, just like me, haha.
the last 5 teams to get in the playoffs not having a winning record 4 outa the 5 won there first game the most recent one being the seahawks.
In my mind Tebow has played three good games out of 11, Minny, Oakland, and San Diego. So If we are going to teach a QB in the offseason, help him learn with Elway, go over the offense, then why do it with a guy that we arent sure if he has the skills to even do it. Why”see what happens?” Find a guy in the draft that has the skills and can run an offense. Has a gimmick offense won a Super Bowl? No, sorry, it hasnt. I just feel like we are wasting our time and we dont have to. I like Tebow but it just doesnt feel promising.
i love just reading the posts. i get on here all through out the day to see what the blogs say.
That is an absolutely incorrect statement as far as I know, it’s more like only 8 teams since 1990 went into the playoffs with a record of 8-8 or less and only three won the first playoff game advancing to the second round and all three lost that game.
That’s more like it.
you dont think tebow putting up 199 yards in the 4th against the bears was any good ?
i just saw that on sportscenter bay tell them
I said games, not snnipets of quarters.
We had a blog about all that, that’s why it’s fresh on my mind.
While we’re definitely the underdog, we do have a legitimate chance at this game because both teams involved play physical football. If we can make it our game – running for 150-200 yards, winning turnover battle, and keeping it close until the end – we honestly have a good shot.
Why is everybody suddenly blaming Tebow? Sure he is responsible to a certain extent for the last three games as much as he is for the 7 wins.
What people have forgetten, and we complained about it during the wins too, was the vanilla, inept play calling.
Why aren’t fingers still being pointed at the OC and QB coach for playcalling and QB progression?
Team first!!
Go Broncos!!!
I can’t imagine where alot of todays “elite” QBs would be had they been cut or benched because they only showed “snippets” of good play during their first year of starting.
TRB – Dumervil has had success in both the 3-4 and 4-3. He did play early on in 4-3 under Shanny.
Mental errors vs talent errors, thats what i see.
Doom had 12.5 sacks in like ’08 in the 4-3!
killer,better not argue with the wiki about stats,afterall he has a Bronco Bible,LOL.
didn’t realize there was a new blog. So this is a repost
Overall I think this team has derailed. Can’t win doing the same things over and over when people adjust to u. Also can’t win with turnovers that seemed to start in the NE game and never stop.
Curtou, Tebow had a good game at NE as well. Even tho we lost.
We maybe wasting our time but I don’t think what is required for TT to be great in the NFL is too far out of reach. This is just my personal opinion. The thing about TT is u either beleive he is capable or he is not. As it stands, if he is a phony it will show next year as we lose many games and get a top pick for barkley (since he is staying in school) … or Logan Thomas of VT (Guys up and coming.) … point is we got nothing to lose. Not unless we throw away all our picks for 2012 and 2013 … no way we get to a spot to pick Luck or RG3 … and even THEY could be bust. I don’t think its every truly worth it to trade so many picks to draft one player. Draft is a crapshoot … better to feel bad about missing with 1 pick than to feel bad about missing with multiple first round picks and 2nd round picks and how many picks it would take to move up. And moving up this year will be competitive too. Many people what the QBs. People say working with Tebow can set this franchise back … so can trading 2012 first, 2nd and 2013 first for one player and then the player busts (not saying they will) … i personally feel that Raiders were stupid to trade 2 first round picks for Palmer … but at least the guy is proven (just at the end of his career)
TRB
rbf1, BFE – I didn’t say he doesn’t have success in the 4-3 … he is having it this year … i was referign to his infamous come from behind strip sacks that he had in 2009. Not his effectiveness. I was sayign from the 4-3 I believed he had a better chance of getting BEHIND the QB for a sack. Not so much in the 4-3 so far. Just a theory of course.
Whatever Elway decides to do,I will back him!!!
I was saying from the 3-4***
BFE, what qbkiller probably heard is something like 4 of the last 5 teams who made the playoffs and won had a lesser records than their opponents. It’s like gossip, it’s starts one way and by the time it gets to you it’s a totally different story, LOL.
Agreed, i trust the brass.
Well Ayers got a sack last week,maybe since he’s been doing a lot of talking to the media,he’ll step up and start making an impact.
Even tho he has played the run very well this year,he needs to put pressure on the QB too!
I don’t think Ayers has the luxury of going after the QB … he usually plays infront of miller if im not mistaking. Seeing as how the rookie often ignores the run and only goes for the QB … somebodies gotta be around for the run.
1985- browns went 8-8 and won first round
2004- vikings went 8-8 and won first round
2004- rams went 8-8 and won first round
2008- chargers went 8-8 and won first round
2010- seahawks went 7-9 won first round
this is more what i was trying to say about teams without winning records getting a win in the wildcard round.
and it wasnt gossip like it went through 15 people before it got to me i saw it on tv and wrote exactly what i saw.
Put me down for a Broncos 20-13 victory. One strip sack fumble return for a TD. One deep passi g TD that we actually connect on, and two bomb field goals. We never actuall get to the red zone.
I’m trying to find the article with my figures but having trouble locating it, but I see what you heard, they must be saying since 2004 5 teams made the playoffs at 8-8 or less and 4 won the first playoff game, but it still doesn’t match what I read, will keep looking.
But for those who like those stats this one might be more interesting:
Only one team before the Broncos entered the playoffs on a three-game losing streak with a record of 8-8. The 1999 Lions got in as the final wild card, beating out three other 8-8 teams on tiebreakers, and lost their only playoff game to the Redskins 27-13.
bay you said only 3 teams with 8-8 records or worse were able to win the first game since 1990 that is not right you should do your homework before you try to make people look stupid on here. i just gave you a list of more then 3 since 1990 to do it
anyway go broncos lol
Looking at some DP stuff trying to find a needle in a hay stack I came across an easy way for all the orange kool aid fans to make some serious money:
Oddsmakers at Cantor Gaming have the Packers as 9-5 favorites to win the Super Bowl on Feb. 5, and the Broncos as 120-1 underdogs to win the NFL title.
Sorry if you felt stupid, was not my intention.
no prob
I watched the game again for the third time…. Tebow a few bad throws absolutely… BUT I am very mad….. I lost count of how many flippin times we ran pass plays with only 2 wr’s, and 8 blocking… DO YOU HEAR ME!! Only 2 WR’S RUNNING BASIC ROUTES…. My son’s pee wee team could cover those WR’s.. It’s not we have Larry Fitzgerald or something….. I saw us running on first & second downs the majority of the time.. A time or 2 running on the 1st 3 downs.. and then punting…. That is insane… You have to create doubt in the defenses heads… Anyone can game play 2 wr’s…. ANYONE…. This was the worst game plan that I have ever witnessed at the pro or college level… EVER… FOX you are a spineless man child… I have no respect for you…. None at all… And you let your QB take all the heat for your spineless coaching… This is the same garbage that got you ran out of Carolina… McCoy even recently publically admitted that there was games in Carolina where you ran 6 plays.. ON OFFENSE… Come on!!!
I know there is no chance in the world that you change… A tiger doesn’t change it’s stripes…. If Tebow manages to complete more than 10 plays to a 2wr max protection offense it will be an amazing feat… THESE are the Steelers, not sisters of the poor….. I hope Dawkins plays, I hope Royal only plays on special teams, I hope Prater is allowed to KICK.. And I hope we throw short passes to the middle area please.. INSIDE THE HASHES…. Thanks again FOX for reminding me the weak people are incapable of change…
I found it, it was in the DP:
Since the NFL adopted the 16-game regular-season schedule in 1978, eight teams 8-8 or worse have made the playoffs and three won opening-round games: 2010 Seattle (7-9), 2008 San Diego (8-8) and 2004 Minnesota (8-8). Each of those three that survived the opening round failed to advance past the second round.
Just like I said.
If what you say is correct they obviously had the wrong figures, too tired to look up what source is correct, gotta feed the animals.
Potential snow this weekend. Which begs the question: Would a snow game hurt us or help us??
Anyone know of a really good, inexpensive hotel close to the field for saturday night?
Checked out all the records, the DP forgot that the Rams won their playoff game in 2004, so that’s the 4th one, thanks DP for making me look stupid, LOL.
But Sports center made you look bad just the same because in 1985 the Browns lost their opening playoff game, LMAO, that’s hilarious, unless you do it yoursefl, no one has got it right, hahahaha.
My football bible came in pretty handy…
nmbronco88: Cardboard Box Inn it is really cheap and convenient. Haha, no I’m just joking, we stayed at a Ramada really close to the field the last game I went to.
Brian, I believe that’s the one under the bridge on the I-25 and I-70 interchange, LMAO!!!
Ramada Denver Midtown is the name of it, they even have a shuttle that takes you the stadium.
Blog administration:
About the blog where you said Fox is the first Bronco coach ever to win a division title in his first year and rbf1 came on to say he thought Red Miller had done the same in 1977, and by all accounts in my research rbf1 is correct but the blog never corrected themselves. I mean in the Bronco 2011 media guide Red is not listed under any coaching capacity in 1976 and in 1977 he wins not only the division but the AFC title. I think straightening that out would only be fair to Red Miller unless we are missing something in which case I’d love to know what.
Thanks.
I couldn’t be because he was a Bronco assistant coach between 1963 and 67, could it? That wouldn’t make any sense, he wasn’t a head coach then.