1 p.m. Sunday, Invesco Field at Mile High, KCNC-4
For the record: The Steelers went 11-5 and finished second in the AFC North.
Last game: Pittsburgh stunned host Indianapolis 21-18 in an AFC divisional playoff game Sunday. Pittsburgh took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and held on for the upset.
Streaking: The Steelers are the only No. 6 seed in NFL playoff history to reach the title game. They have won road playoff games at Cincinnati (31-17) and Indianapolis.
Who’s hot: Pittsburgh’s run defense. It held the Colts to 58 yards rushing on 14 carries.
Who’s not: Running backs Willie Parker and Jerome Bettis combined for 105 yards on 34 carries against the Colts.
Key stat: Steelers coach Bill Cowher, in his 14th season with the team, is 1-4 in AFC title games. He has lost three straight, including one to visiting Denver in the 1997 season. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan is 2-0 in AFC title games, including the win over the Steelers. The Broncos are 4-0 in title games at home.
FYI: Ben Roethlisberger is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to advance to the conference championship in his first two seasons. Pittsburgh lost at home to New England in the title game last year.
Injury update: Roethlisberger suffered a bruise to his right arm Sunday but returned. Cornerback Chidi Iwuoma left the game with arm and shoulder injuries.
Coach-speak: “For us to come in and do what we did today, it took a supreme effort from all three phases of our game today. It was a heck of a football game. There was a lot of ebb and flow in the second half, and we weathered it. It was an unbelievable ending.” – Cowher
