Steelers Move Into Playoff Position, Broncos Struggling

That’s 10-straight wins in December for the Steelers.

Meanwhile, the Steelers are second in the AFC North behind the Cincinnati Bengals. The Broncos had two interceptions, including a pick by linebacker Brandon Marshall with 2:08 left at the Steelers’ 41.

Pittsburgh ran out the clock.

“Of course we are”, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey said.

The Steelers just smoked the league’s top defense. “We never really settled down until halftime and then we played the way we we’re capable of playing”.

Cousins hit tight end Jordan Reed for a pair of scores in the first half, and threw a short pass to DeSean Jackson that the speedy receiver turned into a 77-yard TD in the third quarter.

“I guess you can call it that”, said Steelers wide receiver Markus Wheaton. If they falter down the stretch then it’s entirely likely the Steelers would miss the playoffs.

Now topping the AFC West are the Broncos with a 10-3 record as they are trying to keep the Kansas City Chiefs at bay. Chris Boswell is the reliable leg they needed to make up for the early-season Josh Scobee disaster. “Kudos to those boys”.

Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler (17) throws a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015.

But in the second half, the Broncos struggled to generate any consistency on the ground.

Graham Gano’s 43-yard field goal as time expired kept Carolina ideal this season after NY rallied from a 28-point deficit to tie the score. “I don’t know what it is, but we’ve just got to be a better second-half team”. Brock Osweiler completed 35 of 51 passes for 308 yards to lead the Broncos. He bruised his left (non-throwing) shoulder in the second quarter but refused to blame the injury for his erratic performance. The Broncos big-play threat at wide receiver had a career-high 181 yards on 10 catches, absolutely lighting up his former team in the first half to the tune of 163 yards from scrimmage, the third most all-time in a half by a Denver Bronco. Brown’s last score, a 23-yarder from Roethlisberger with 3:34 remaining, was the game-winner. Backup Brook Osweiler did not help his chances of remaining the starter with a poor second half in which he completed just 7 of 26 passes for 82 yards. Roethlisberger ended the day 40-of-55 for 380 yards and three touchdowns. Although Osweiler did a better job stepping out of the pass rush and creating some openings for himself, one of those step-ups ended in an interception that set up the game-winning Roethlisberger-to-Brown connection.

Head coach Gary Kubiak indicated that 39-year-old Manning, who has a torn plantar fascia in his left foot, had been pulled from practice more as a precaution, after working out with the team the previous two days.

In the Pitt and the Pendulum of Sunday evening, the Broncos were terrific in the first half but tormented souls in the second half. He does have the luxury of having the NFL’s top-ranked defense wearing the same jersey, though the Broncos’ self-proclaimed “No Fly Zone” secondary will face its toughest test of the season from Ben Roethlisberger and arguably the league’s best passing attack. This is a team that has scored at least 30 points in each of their last six games, five resulting in victory.