It won’t unseat ” The Fumble” — Earnest Byner’s drop for the Cleveland Browns after getting stripped by Jeremiah Castille at old Mile High Stadium in the 1987 AFC championship game — among the Broncos’ biggest bust-ups.
But Bradley Roby forcing Fitzgerald Toussaint to fumble late in Sunday’s playoff against the Steelers certainly swung a victory toward the Broncos.
On second-and-4 at Denver’s 34-yard line early in the fourth quarter, Toussaint took a handoff and swept left. After a 3-yard gain, Roby hit him square in the midsection, popping the ball loose. DeMarcus Ware recovered.
“I’m sure it was (a good play by the Broncos),” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. “Bottom line is, when you lose a turnover battle in a hostile environment versus good people, it’s going to cost you. It cost us today.”
In a sullen Steelers locker room, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger deflected some burden.
“I told him we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s on all of us.”
Said Toussaint: “I hate losing. Definitely hate fumbling the football, especially in a position like that. You have to protect the football.”
Injury not an issue. Roethlisberger, who tore ligaments and sprained his shoulder last week against Cincinnati, was curt when asked about it after the game.
“I was fine. Thank you for asking,” he said.
Roethlisberger threw a 55-yard pass that was incomplete on the first play from scrimmage.
“We didn’t really even talk about it once the game got started,” Tomlin said.
