The Pittsburgh Steelers are banged up and will be without Antonio Brown and DeAngelo Williams, but the Denver Broncos have struggled all year on offense and will start Peyton Manning who has had the worst season of his career. But one will come away with a trip to the AFC Championship when the two teams clash on Sunday night.
NFL playoffs live stream 2016: How to watch Steelers vs. Broncos online
The Steelers and Broncos have endured roller coaster seasons in 2015, but only one can limp into the AFC Championship.
Manning’s career in the postseason will forever be a knock on his legacy after nine one-and-done performances in his career. Despite a 186-79 career record as a regular season starter, his 11-13 playoff record has earned him a reputation as someone who chokes when it counts most, even if he’s a perfect 3-of-3 in AFC title games and has been let down by teammates in many cases.
But Manning might not need to set the world on fire to outscore the Steelers. While the team finished No. 3 in total offense, even after missing Ben Roethlisberger in four games, the Steelers will be without Brown and Williams, and even Roethlisberger is questionable to play. That can only spell trouble against Denver's No. 1 ranked defense that racked up an NFL-best 52 sacks.
The best case scenario for the Broncos is a defense that shuts down the Steelers offense and Manning not gift-wrapping points to Pittsburgh. In 10 regular season appearances, Manning threw just nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions before eventually requiring time to recover from a torn plantar fascia.
While he was a backup for Brock Osweiler when he returned to action, Manning was put back in the offense and led the Broncos down the field multiple times for a comeback win over the San Diego Chargers. Similar poise and care with the football is exactly what the Broncos need to contend for a Super Bowl.
The Steelers will need to find production from backups like Fitzgerald Toussaint and Martavis Bryant, each of whom played big roles in a 18-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
How to Watch
When: 4:40 p.m. ET
Where: Sports Authority Field, Denver, Colo.
TV: CBS
Commentators: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
Online: CBSSports.com
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