Arthur Moats: Pittsburgh Steelers preparing for Brock Osweiler vs. Denver Broncos

In a devastating game against the Oakland Raiders, the Denver Broncos succumbed to the opposing team at 15-12.

It’s doubtful that right tackle Michael Schofield will ever have a worse game than he did Sunday, when Khalil Mack shredded him for four of his five second-half sacks.

When Derek Carr threw incomplete, the Broncos needed only a field goal to tie, but Brandon McManus’s hook let the Raiders off the hook minutes later.

Still, Kubiak said Monday he’s not concerned about the locker room splintering.

It appears the cost of a 15-12 win over the Denver Broncos and continued status as a playoff hopeful was long-snapper Jon Condo. He has been dealing with a torn plantar fascia along with sore ribs and an aching throwing shoulder.

With both snappers out and his team leading by three points, Del Rio opted to go for a 2-point conversion that failed. With Pittsburgh still struggling in the defensive backfield, keying in on Denver’s receivers will be a determining factor.

At 6-7, the Raiders are anything but out of the AFC Wild Card hunt. He was 35 of 51 for 308 yards, but was sacked five times (all of them by Khalil Mack) and fumbled the ball in the end zone for a safety.

For now though, it sounds like Osweiler has the early edge to be this week’s starter, but only because he’s been the starter for the past four weeks. If Mack is already considered to be in the level of Derrick Thomas, then the expectations for this young man just got big. Safety David Bruton Jr. sat out Sunday’s game with MCL and PCL sprains. But Manning has made enough progress to get back on the football field.

The Steelers are on a hot streak, coming off of a heated contest against the Cincinnati Bengals for a win.

“I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but obviously the plan is that we’re moving forward”, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak told reporters (via 9News). At 25, Osweiler is much more athletic and mobile than Manning, who’s nearing his 40th birthday.

“To have an extra set of eyes – especially his eyes – out there and helping me and coaching me through the whole situation is something that I appreciated”, Osweiler said. They finished with 34 yards on the ground. He was bothered by the injury during the week and then got stepped on in warmups. We were 16 carries for 21 [25] yards in the first half.

If Manning can practice this week, Kubiak will have a tough decision on his hands.

“I have to see where he’s at”, Kubiak said of Manning. And that doesn’t give us any reason not to still cover an uncovered receiver. I’ll talk to (head athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos).

It was actually really exciting to watch a coach go on the same roller coaster ride that us fans were on for the game. But we’re a football team, and we go about our day that way all the time.

Of course, the Denver Broncos have a litany of injuries they are dealing with; but that should not become an excuse for a team that was playing at home against a rival with a worse record. I’m not ready to talk about what free agents may or may not help this team win a Super Bowl in 2017. So absolutely without question, if Peyton Manning is healthy, you put him back in the game.