Behind Tim Tebow, the Denver Broncos on Sunday entered the NFL playoffs as AFC West champions. They faced Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Denver with elimination — or postseason survival — on the line.
Track Tebow’s and Roethlisberger’s time against each other Sunday here:
TEBOW
How far has Tebow progressed as a quarterback?
Broncos fans, and Broncos brass (management), may find out. Denver first-and-10 at its 20, 9:59 left, holding a precarious 7-point lead.
Tebow has Broncos on the move
After Pittsbugh’s Roethlisberger moved 87 yards in 11 plays to cut the Steelers’ deficit to seven points late in the third quarter, Tebow showed something by answering. Even three points could be huge for Denver, and Tebow, looking poised and playing it smart, avoided risky throws and set up a Matt Prater field goal. Broncos up 23-13. Tebow in charge. Clock showing 13:10 remaining in the game. Pittsburgh fans must be absolutely stunned.
Broncos doing an impersonation of the Raiders?
As far as vertical passing game, it sure looks like it. Tebow’s 40-yard pass to Daniel Fells was Denver’s third completion of 40 or more yards in the first half. Heck, it seemed lke the Broncos went weeks without getting many gains of half that. Broncos on the move at 2-minute warning. First-and-10 at Steelers 13. Haven’t heard much from Pittsburgh fans for the past hour.
Tebow has the long ball working
A second completion of 50-yards-plus to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has the Broncos, already up 7-6, in business at the Steelers 12. So what does Tebow do after that? He takes matter into his own hands, er, legs. After a 4-yard gain, Tebow puts his head down and runs up the middle for an 8-yard touchdown. Broncos fans going crazy celebrating a 14-6 lead with 10:36 left before halftime. Many analysts wondered if Denver could score that many points in 60 minutes. The Steelers defense must be in shock.
Don’t look now, Broncos are ahead
Who said Tebow can make NFL throws? John Elway and other legends of the game had to be impressed with Tebow’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Royal that put the Broncos up 7-6 with 13:24. Tebow led Royal perfectly down the right sideline, hitting the wideout just a step or two short of the back of the end zone, where safety William Gay had no chance. Denver fans, and especially the team, had to be encouraged.
Just Tebow’s luck
On the first play of the second quarter, Tebow throws his best pass thus far and finds Eric Decker for 21 yards. But Decker is hit low by James Harrison and stays down. After being helped off the field, Decker is taken to the locker room.
Double-whammy: after a review, the play is ruled incomplete because Decker did not maintain control. Tebow must be thinking “What is can go wrong?” Decker has a knee injury and, according to the Broncos, will not return.
Gotta hit those
On second-and-12 during the Broncos’ second possession, Tebow slid out of the pocket, bought some time, and saw tight end Dante Rosario get behind a defender for what might have been a 25- or 30-yard gain. But Tebow’s pass sailed a bit too far and went just off Rosario’s fingertips. Better — and safer — than to be short on those passes. But the Broncos will need big plays to beat the Steelers.
The good news:
Denver is down just 3-0 and has the ball.
The bad news:
Tebow and Company are backed up on the Broncos 11-yard-line following a nice punt by Pittsburgh’s Jeremy Kapinos.
One….two….three…kick
No, that wasn’t a warmup by the famed Rockettes dancers. It was Denver’s first possession. Broncos fans couldn’t have liked what they saw, with Tim Tebow throwing about 5 yards wide of Eddie Royal on a third-down sideline pattern. But it’s early.
Broncos backed up
ROETHLISBERGER
Great Broncos defensive play? Or Roethlisberger’s immobility?
Regardless of the reason, Denver fans going bonkers when Big Ben fumbles when hit by Elvis Dumerville from the Broncos 45 with 29 seconds left. Roethlisberger manages to recover, but here comes overtime.
After McGahee fumble, Roethlisberger smells blood
Pain be damned –stepping up in the pocket as if he was his usual spry self, Roethlisbeger bought enough time to find third-string receiver Jerricho Cotchery for a 31-yard touchdown on a crossing pattern deep in the end zone. It’s all tied up 23-23. Less than 4 minutes left. Tebow to be tested again.
One score game
The Steelers aren’t giving up. Like a cowboy biting down on a nail to forget the pain, Roethlisberger must have chomped down on his mouthpiece when he scrambled — rambled — 9 yards to help set up a 37-yard field goal. Steelers within 23-16. 9:59 still to go. Stay tuned.
Pivotal Steelers possession in just the third quarter?
Nobody had to tell Roethlisberger — nor any of the sellout crowd at Sports Authority Field at Mile High — that the Steelers, backed up on their 13 after a Britton Colquitt punt, needed to get something going with more than half of the third quarter having ticked away. Roethlisberger converted a key third-and-10 from the 23 to keep the chains moving.
And, later, the Steelers got new life when running back Isaac Redman broke free for what initially was ruled a 33-yard touchdown. Yet another review, the ball was placed at the half-yard line. That just delayed in inevitable. Sprinting from left to right, Mike Wallace took a handoff from Roethlisber and easily outraced the Denver defense to the corner of the end zone. Pittsburgh pulls to within 20-13. Over to you, Tebow.
Keep in mind, Big Ben stands 6-feet-5
… And that the Steelers are using back-up center Doug Legursky because Pro Bowl pick Maurkice Pouncey is out with an injury. Not sure Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari could have reached the shotgun snap by Legursky that sailed off the fingertips of Roethlisberger with Pittsburgh trying to get at least a field goal just before halftime.
Broncos up 20-7 at the break. Steelers fans must wonder where their real team is.
Big Steelers play comes up short
Nice job by Roethlisberger to be patient on third-and-10 from the Pittsburgh 32 and finding Mike Wallace on a crossing pattern. But better play by Denver safety Quinton Carter stopping Wallace in his tracks, two yards shy of the first down. Big play.
Sack affecting Roethlisberger?
Big Ben made some nice throws early in the game, but one play after he was sacked by Broncos defensive end Robert Ayers, the Steelers QB made a terrible throw on third down, throwing behind his receiver and giving Denver rookie safety Quinton Carter an easy interception at the Steelers’ 27. After a Matt Prater field goal, the Broncos are up 17-6 with 7 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter and Big Ben showed a more pronounced limp as he headed back to the sideline. How bad will the ankle get?
Did Tebow’s TD pass make Big Ben mad?
Perhaps so, because Roethlisberger came right back and hit speedster Mike Wallace for 52 yards on a post-pattern to the Broncos 28. But, wait, a review said Wallace did not maintain possession when hitting the ground. Broncos catch a break.
Not like Big Ben
For a right-handed quarterback, a high-ankle sprain on the left foot inhibits weight shift on throws between the back leg and the front leg. That can cause the pass to sail. It sure appeared that might been the case when Roethlisger threw high and behind Hines Ward on a simple slant on second-and-9 from the Broncos 20.
So perhaps the leg is bothering him more than he’d like to admit. Denver will take it. The Steelers had to again settle for a field goal and, although dominating the game,the favored visitors were up just 6-0 at end of first quarter.
Big Ben strikes first
If that injured left ankle is bothering Ben Roethlisbeger, nobody could tell it during the Steelers’ opening drive. Big Ben completed three of four passes in the 53-yard drive, including a 33-yarder to tight end Heath Miller. Then again, the Broncos’ pass rush didn’t force Roethlisberger to move out of his drop.
THE PASSING STATS
Tebow
1st quarter: 0-for-2, 0 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int
2nd quarter: 5-for-9, 185 yards, 1 TD 0 Int
3rd quarter: 2-for-3, 19 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int
Roethlisberger
1st quarter: 7-for-13, 79 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int
2nd quarter: 4-for-10, 55 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int.
3rd quarter: 4-for-6, 33 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int.
