ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – There’s nothing Cinderella about the Denver Broncos. When you advance to the postseason via a fifth consecutive division title and make your second AFC Championship Game, you are not a plucky underdog, you are an established power.
But this Broncos team seems to defy expectations – especially in this pass-centric day and age.
Peyton Manning has struggled, to the point that Sunday’s 23-16 win over the Steelers marked the first time this season the he started a game and did not throw an interception. In the nine games that Manning has started and finished, the offense has just 15 touchdowns, and has often struggled in the red zone, settling for 24 field goals in those games.
Despite having the AFC’s best record and earning the top seed thanks to home wins over New England and Cincinnati that gave them a tiebreaker advantage at 12-4, some of the Broncos’ overall metrics were homely, particularly on offense.
But they have shown a knack for winning close games. Sunday’s win improved the Broncos to 10-3 in games decided by one score. They’re 5-1 in close games against playoff teams.
In the regular season, the Broncos also showed a proclivity for making late takeaways. In their first game with New England, a muffed punt return kick-started the Broncos’ comeback from a 21-7 deficit, a rally that proved decisive in giving the Broncos the AFC’s top seed and the chance to host the Patriots in next Sunday’s rematch.
Against the Steelers, it was Bradley Roby’s forced fumble from Fitzgerald Toussaint that roused the Broncos and turned the game in their favor. Manning drove the Broncos to a touchdown and a two-point conversion on the subsequent series, and after the defense held once more, the Broncos escaped.
That was the 13th takeaway the Broncos have had in the fourth quarter or overtime this season.
“I think we’ve been in these situations so many times that you don’t even panic anymore,” said wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. “You just know that we’re going to come through.”
The Broncos have confidence, and a top-ranked defense. It has been enough to get them this far. Now they hope it’s enough to push Manning across the finish line for one more shot at becoming the first quarterback to start and win Super Bowls for two different teams.
REPORT CARD VS. STEELERS
–PASSING OFFENSE: C. Passing was better than catching. Seven or eight dropped passes stifled the Broncos’ air attack and short-circuited their drives in the first half. Gusty winds affected Manning’s passes and forced receivers to adjust, but nevertheless, 75.7 percent of Manning’s passes were on target despite the conditions; his day would have looked a lot better if he had gone 28-of-37 instead of the 21-of-37 performance he had that included the drops. The Broncos’ receivers made up for it late, particularly Bennie Fowler, whose 31-yard catch-and-run on third-and-12 propelled the Broncos to the game-winning touchdown. But if they are as butterfingered as they were Sunday, the Broncos might not have any second chances late.
–RUSHING OFFENSE: B-minus. A 34-yard jaunt for C.J. Anderson roused the offense, and although he and Ronnie Hillman combined to average just 3.55 yards per carry, they were consistent and effective enough for Gary Kubiak to lean on them heavily late in the game. Ten of the 13 plays on the Broncos’ lone touchdown drive were runs, including Anderson’s 1-yard plunge. They’ll need to do a better job getting to the holes when they flash open next week, but as long as the ground game is effective enough to keep defenses honest, it could be enough.
–PASS DEFENSE: C-minus. Several communication and coverage breakdowns allowed the Steelers to blister the Broncos for 311 passing yards, including 147 on three plays to Martavis Bryant, Darrius Hayward-Bey and Sammie Coates. Chris Harris Jr.’s shoulder injury limited him, and he struggled to contain Coates and Wheaton when he was lined up against them. Bradley Roby also allowed some big plays by playing off the line of scrimmage and letting receivers get a free release. The pass rush stepped up in the nick of time, but the Broncos will have to do better if they are to contain the Patriots next week.
–RUSHING DEFENSE: B. A 40-yard Bryant end-around skewed the rushing statistics, accounting for nearly half of the Steelers’ 85 rushing yards. But the Broncos effectively made the Steelers’ running backs a non-factor, holding Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Todman to 45 yards on 17 carries. Bradley Roby’s forced fumble from Toussaint was the game’s most important play and turned momentum toward the Broncos once and for all.
–SPECIAL TEAMS: A. Brandon McManus’ struggles were a thing of the past, as he drilled all five of his field-goal attempts through winds that gusted to over 30 miles per hour, including a 51-yarder that meandered through the gusts like a knuckleball before settling in the net behind the end zone. Britton Colquitt placed three punts inside the 20, including one that Kayvon Webster downed at the Pittsburgh 3-yard-line.
–COACHING: A-minus. Going with Peyton Manning proved to be the right call, as he did well at diagnosing the Steelers’ blitzes before the snap. He was sacked just once and his anticipation of another sack allowed him to duck without contact, get back up and find Emmanuel Sanders for the Broncos’ longest pass play of the day. And as was the case throughout the regular season, lingering deficits didn’t faze the Broncos, who stayed the course and notched their eighth comeback win of the season.