When the Denver Broncos host the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday for their AFC divisional playoff game, it will be the eighth time the two storied franchises have faced each other in the playoffs.
In their previous seven matchups, the Broncos hold a slight edge of 4-3.
But here’s an interesting tidbit: the winner of the bout has advanced to the Super Bowl five times — and three of those visits have resulted in the Lombardi Trophy.
Here’s a look back at the previous seven matchups:
1977 season
What happened later? Broncos would advance to franchise’s first-ever title game, but lost to Dallas 27-10 in Super Bowl XII.
From the :
It was truly a joyous occasion.
The Denver Broncos spread the joy all over Mile High Stadium and well beyond Saturday, defeating the proud Pittsburgh Steelers 34-21 in the first round of the National Football League playoffs.
It was the first playoff victory in the 18-year history of the Denver franchise, coming in the Broncos’ first such experience.
1978 season
What happened later? The Steelers would go on to Super XIII, beating the Cowboys 35-31.
From the :
The Denver Broncos are no longer champions of the American Football Conference.
All their defenses finally broke down here Saturday, collapsing under the strain of one last pressure-packed football game.
There were two types of stress that led to the “breakdown,” a 33-10 loss to Pittsburgh in the National Football League’s AFC semifinals.
One was the incredible pressure applied by the Steelers’ vaunted passing attack, featuring quarterback Terry Bradshaw and wide receivers John Stallworth and Lynn Swann.
1984 season
What happened later? Pittsburgh would lose in the next round, falling 45-28 to Miami.
From the :
That place in the sun — the championship game in sunny Miami or the Super Bowl in sunny Palo Alto — is just a darkness on the edge of town for the Denver Broncos now.
After Sunday, the Broncos’ place in the sun is at least a season away.
This season, the Broncos aren’t going any farther.
In a sudden-death AFC semifinal playoff game against Pittsburgh Sunday, death came … well, suddenly. The Steelers walked out of Mile High Stadium with a 24-17 victory and will play again next Sunday in Miami’s Orange Bowl for the AFC championship and the right to meet either San Francisco or Chicago in Palo Alto’s Super Bowl.
1989 season
What happened later? Broncos lost 55-10 to San Francisco in Super Bowl XXIV.
From the :
Fate got its way again yesterday. For the third time in four seasons, the Denver Broncos will play the Cleveland Browns in the AFC championship game.
If the fact that the Broncos made it wasn’t particularly surprising, the route they took to get there was nothing less than shocking. They didn’t do any dominating yesterday at Mile High Stadium. This time, they had to steal one from the Steelers.
After falling behind 17-7 late in the second quarter, the Broncos rallied for a dramatic 24-23 victory, the likes of which they usually save for their legendary battles with the Browns.
1997 season
What happened later? Broncos win first-ever Lombardi Trophy, beating Green Bay 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII.
From the :
When almost nobody outside their own locker room thought they could, they did. The Denver Broncos came out of Kansas City, out of Pittsburgh and out of the American Football Conference.
Against the Steelers and long odds going into the postseason, the Broncos wrapped up the AFC portion of their “Revenge Tour” with a 24-21 win over Pittsburgh at Three Rivers Stadium in Sunday’s AFC Championship game. …
For now it is history, like the kind the Broncos made Sunday.
“We’re going to Dis- … no, we’re going to Sea World,” shouted Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe, catching himself a few moments after catching the biggest first-down pass in franchise history. “Me and my homeboys are going to see Shamu.”
2006 season
What happened later? Steelers would win Super Bowl XL 21-10 over Seattle.
From the :
Pittsburgh’s guys were better than Denver’s guys. Way better.
All hail Ben Roethlisberger, Bill Cowher and the Pittsburgh Steelers. They came into supposedly unconquerable Invesco Field at Mile High and not only conquered, the Steelers destroyed the Broncos 34-17 in the AFC championship game.
“They played a better game than we did from start to finish,” Broncos receiver Rod Smith said. “That’s why they’re moving on and we’re going home.”
2011 season
What happened next? The Broncos were crushed by New England 45-10 in the next round.
From the :
To begin what turned out to be the biggest week of his professional football life, Tim Tebow was down in the dumps.
All the Broncos were down.
By now, the country knows the Broncos would snap out of their doldrums in time to stun the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers 29-23 in overtime Sunday. Tebow’s exhilarating 80-yard dart-and-run pass play targeted Demaryius Thomas, who capped the game-winning touchdown on the first play in overtime by pulling a Bo Jackson and running straight into the tunnel that led to the victorious locker room.
“I was coming back out, and I got crushed,” Thomas said of his celebrating teammates. “Everybody got me in the tunnel.”
CHEW ON THIS
• The . No, you didn’t read that wrong.
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• Colorado State’s and is forgoing senior season.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY
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Joe Nguyen: jnguyen@denverpost.com or @joenguyen
