Broncos vow not to make same mistake and overlook Steelers

Brock Osweiler (knee) participated in Friday’s practice and will serve as the Denver Broncos ‘ second-string quarterback in Sunday’s playoff game against the Steelers, ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold reports.

Kickoff for the National Football League playoff game is at 2:40 p.m. Sunday in Denver, The high is expected to reach 38 degrees with dry conditions.

The Broncos offensive line has had plenty of struggles this season so the Steelers front must take advantage of this matchup consistently. Shazier plays next to LOLB Ryan Moats, who had a quiet night with one tackle and one pass defensed in the regular-season meeting. Remember, Manning hasn’t played a full game since November, and his numbers prior to the injury don’t instill great confidence: Three touchdowns and 10 picks over the previous four games. Peyton Mannings entry into the r… The future Hall of Famer watched that game in street clothes.

There’s a chance Denver might have to dress three quarterbacks on Sunday, which would be a rare move for the Broncos because they like to put only two in uniform each week. The former Indianapolis Colt is 11-13 in his 24 playoff starts, including a loss to the Steelers a decade ago when he was a member of Indianapolis. Maybe it’s because his team was losing, but maybe it’s because Manning was his team’s only hope.

Sure, it was a major source of pride given he’d shut out so many wide receivers for so long, and that he did it through the entire 2014 season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament during the Broncos’ 2013 Super Bowl run.

It does not appear inside linebacker Ryan Shazier will be fined for his hit that knocked Bengals running back Gio Bernard out of the AFC wild-card game.

Unfortunately for the Steelers, they’re dealing with a very competent Broncos defense. However, with how much velocity and accuracy he is able to toss the ball around the field, remains a mystery. Most of those yards went to Antonio Brown, but Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton did combine for 14 catches for almost 150 yards. The Broncos would be smart to lean on running backs C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman. “He’s the best in the world”, Roethlisberger said.

Someone like Brown could really do some damage to that defense, especially given the fact that Pittsburgh ranked third in the league in total yardage in the regular season. So does Denver’s affinity for an eight-man box. If the Broncos can run the ball first, the play action will freeze the secondary and pass rush and Manning can get it down there. Manning had his worst season as a professional ranking near the bottom in quarterback ratings.

CBs Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. have both been selected for the Pro Bowl. Elsewhere, the Broncos are getting healthy at the right time.

Peyton Manning missed midseason games for the first time in his career, but with Brock Osweiler under centre, Denver rolled right on to the AFC’s No. 1 seed by winning five of his seven starts. In the NFC, the Panthers won 15 of 16 and beat Seattle earlier. Both of Pittsburgh stars come into this divisional battle less than 100 percent.