Broncos face test against the best

Statement game.

That is the only way to describe the Denver Broncos Monday Night Football showdown vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers.

A Broncos loss would give their critics ammunition to say they are not only a not a physical enough team, but also that they cannot stand up to the NFL’s elite clubs.

However, a Broncos win over the defending Super Bowl Champions would catapult Denver back into the top of NFL rankings everywhere — as well as start some chatter that the Broncos are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

Here is everything Broncos you need to know going into tonight’s Mile High match-up vs. the World Champions at 6 p.m. at Invesco Field:

What’s the scoop?

The Broncos are still 6-1 with the NFL’s second best record and the league’s No. 1 ranked defense.

However, after last week’s beat down at the hands of Baltimore, it sort of doesn’t feel like it. The Broncos were beaten badly by a good but not great Ravens team and never stood a chance in the second half of the contest.

Moreover, the Broncos may have been a bit exposed on both sides of the ball, unable to move the ball offensively the entire game and never being able to stop Baltimore’s offense when it mattered the most.

Still, it is only one (bad) loss, and the Broncos have had a week-plus to regroup and prepare for the World Champions. 

It is how the Broncos will react to their first taste of adversity that will define not only the character of the club but will set the tone for the rest of their season.

But in front of them are the Steelers — the NFL’s meanest and most talented defense — with a Pro Bowl quarterback in “Big” Ben Roethlisberger who is a not only the definition of clutch, but who is a big, agile beast who is a nightmare for every defense is faces.

Who are these guys?

Besides “Big Ben,” the Steelers have a strong supporting cast of offensive talent. Running back Rashard Mendenhall has emerged as the team’s bully running back of the future, and Hines Ward is one of the most complete receivers in football. 

In addition, Santonio Holmes can stretch the field for Pittsburgh’s offense, and rookie receiver Mike Wallace is also starting to make an impact.

But as they have for 30-plus years, the Steelers’ defense carries them to wins and keeps them in nearly every contest.

James Harrison is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and safety Troy Polumalu is one of the most feared defenders in football. 

That pair and a strong unit that gets after the quarterback is the reason for the Steelers’ recent Super Bowl successes.

And 37-year-old head coach Mike Tomlin puts it all together. Tomlin is the perfect new-school head coach with an old-school flare for Pittsburgh — maybe the most storied franchise in NFL history.

Tomlin is a brilliant leader of men who is a great game planner, who is almost never out-coached. Tomlin, along with longtime defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau, have a recipe for success that continues to work in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers may be the most complete team the Broncos will face all season.

What to expect:

For that reason, the Broncos must play their most complete game of the season in order to beat the Steelers – and still hope for a little luck.

Pittsburgh is great at forcing turnovers, and any extra possessions the Steelers can obtain is a massive advantage for them.

Denver tailback Knowshon Moreno has touchdowns in three straight games — as well as fumbles in three straight games.

Moreno will not only need to hold onto the ball, he will need to rush for 90-100 yards in order to keep Pittsburgh’s blitz-crazy defense off quarterback Kyle Orton.

Orton, though, must make the Steelers pay when they do blitz, hitting the open man quickly. 

The Steelers will attempt to run Mendenhall and Willie Parker potentially 30-plus times tonight, and then mix in some chances downfield to Ward, Holmes and Wallace.

“Big Ben” is deadly when is gets on a roll — much superior to Joe Flacco who carved up Denver’s defense last week.

But, if the Steelers cannot successfully run the ball they often become pass-happy and one dimensional, which will give the Broncos’ pass rush a chance to make plays and their secondary a chance to make interceptions.

The Broncos are three-point underdogs at home — something that almost never happens to a 6-1 home team. The smart money is all over the Broncos.

Moreover, the game projects to be a close, low-scoring affair in the 21-17 range that could be decided in the game’s final minutes.

Either way, tonight’s game should be one of the best games of the NFL’s regular season.

Add a new comment... Spammers: links do not work and our site gets monitored for spam daily and your comments will be removed -- please do not spam our site!

Your Name:

Your Email:

Title:

Comments:

Please copy the characters from this image into the box below. All characters are either numbers 1-9 (not zero) or letters (upper and lowercase). If you cannot read this image, you can click it to try a different image (most browsers). Otherwise, submit the page anyway and try again.

Image Text: