The Denver Broncos won a close, low-scoring game over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, 23-16. The game was the final game in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Denver now advances to the AFC Championship, and as the top seed in the conference they will play host to the New England Patriots.
Steelers vs. Broncos 2016 final score: Denver wins, 23-16, to advance to AFC Championship
The Broncos will face the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
It was Peyton Manning's first start for the Broncos since he was benched after throwing four interceptions and no touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs in November. Brock Osweiler took over the starting job and Manning had to rehab a foot injury, but the Broncos announced the long-time starter would be under center for the playoffs.
Manning didn't play a terrible game for Denver, and in fact was let down very much by his receivers, who dropped several passes. Manning completed 21 of 37 passes for 222 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. The Broncos ran for 110 yards as a team. Ben Roethlisberger threw for over 339 yards but the Steelers ran for just 85 yards as a team.
It was a close first half, with neither team playing great but with no serious mistakes, either. The Steelers were the only team to find the end zone, when Fitzgerald Toussaint ran in a touchdown in the first quarter. Chris Boswell then kicked a 43-yard field goal on Pittsburgh's next possession, giving them a 10-6 lead.
The Broncos were able to get within a point of the Steelers when Brandon McManus kicked a 51-yard field goal as the first half ended. It was his third field goal of the day, following kicks of 28 and 41 yards. Both quarterbacks threw the ball well with no serious mistakes, and both teams got production out of their running games. It was simply a close one from the beginning.
It was a very, very slow game overall.
That play above was the most exciting play of the whole game for the most part. Neither quarterback threatened to pull away from the other, and wide receivers on both teams struggled with drops. In the third quarter, the Steelers increased their lead with a 28-yard field goal from Boswell, and the Broncos pulled back within a point with a 41-yard field goal from McManus.
Things finally got interesting with less than four minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Manning led the Broncos on a 13-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a C.J. Anderson 1-yard touchdown run. Then Manning tossed a pass to Demaryius Thomas for a successful two-point conversion, giving the the Broncos a 7-point lead.
The Steelers were unable to make a comeback in the final minutes, and the Broncos were able to clear out a majority of the clock, giving the ball back after a field goal with under a minute to play.
The Patriots easily handled the Kansas City Chiefs in their Divisional Round game on Saturday. The winner of their AFC Championship will take on either the Carolina Panthers or the Arizona Cardinals, the other winners from the Divisional Round who will face off in the NFC Championship.
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