Online Betting OverviewThe line on this game will keep going up as the action on the Steelers continues to increase. There is no magic in Denver. There is no “Divine Intervention” that will take the Broncos to the Super Bowl. In weeks 16 and 17, Denver quarterback Tim Tebow went from miracle man to well below-average quarterback. The Broncos were blown out by the Buffalo Bills in week 16, and then the Broncos lost an important game in week 17 to the Chiefs. According to the price per head sports experts, the Broncos made the playoffs because the Oakland Raiders lost in week 17 to the San Diego Chargers. To ask a team to back its way into the playoffs and then have to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers is almost impossible. But that does not mean that this will be a boring game to watch.
The Pittsburgh offense will be the deciding factor in this game, but it is not going to be easy. When the Broncos were rolling on its seven-game winning streak earlier in the season, the defense played some of the best football in the league. If it were not for the Denver defense and place kicker Matt Prater, there would not have been any magic in Denver. As the pay per head experts see more of the Broncos under Tim Tebow, they are starting to realize that the Broncos were a very good football team winning games despite the shabby play of a mediocre quarterback. Many of those games that were won in the fourth quarter should have been well in hand by then. Heading into the playoffs, Tim Tebow will see what a real defense looks like and it will not be pretty.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Aside from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s high ankle sprain, the Steelers come into the playoffs healthy and with everyone ready to play. But even Big Ben’s ankle is not going to be a problem in the playoffs. Roethlisberger has learned to play through the pain and looked relatively decent against the Cleveland Browns in week 17. With another week of rest, Roethlisberger should be able to face the Broncos.
A 5 dimes review of the Steelers’ defense shows a unit that is first against the pass and eighth against the run. The Pittsburgh defense should be able to contain Tebow in the pocket and neutralize the Broncos’ running game. With safety Troy Polamalu roaming the middle of the field, the Broncos will have nowhere to go.
Denver Broncos
The NFL fans in Denver thought they were in heaven when Tim Tebow was winning football games. But as reality sets in, the prospects of facing the Steelers in the wild card round are not so appealing anymore. The Denver defense should be able to keep things relatively close, but there is no guarantee that Tebow won’t throw the game away with four or five key interceptions and maybe a fumble or two.
The Bottom Line
If Tim Tebow and the Broncos win this game then Tim Tebow deserves all of the accolades that befit a starting NFL quarterback. But, once again, reality can be hard for football fans to accept.
BSNblog Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers
