(Denver, CO) The talk all week was how Tim Tebow was going to be a non-factor and how Ben Roethlisberger would be the better quarterback. Neither was true on Sunday in Denver.
The Broncos stunned the Steelers on the first play of overtime, ending the Steelers season with a 29-23 overtime loss.
“To go 12-4 and to come down to an overtime loss the way we did, this one will be with some of the worst games we ever lost,” said Hine Ward. “I thought last year losing the Super Bowl, but this is fresh on our minds and the way we lost is just disappointing.”
The Steelers controlled the first quarter outgaining the Broncos 119-8 and jumping out to a 6-0 lead, but fell apart in the second quarter.
The Broncos scored 20 unanswered points in the second quarter including one passing and one rushing touchdown by Tebow.
“That’s just the part of this business,” said Ward. “You get the all time high in one second and the next second later, you get the all time low.”
But after settling down in the second half, the Steelers came back and ended up tying the game with 3:47 left and eventually the game went into overtime.
“Obviously we felt good about tying the ball game,” said Heath Miller. “I think that we had an opportunity in our two minute drill at the end of regulation. I think we were ten yards out of field goal range and we weren’t able to take advantage of that. The bottom line as a team, they made more plays than we made and as a result, they won the game.”
The Broncos won the coin toss in overtime and on the first play of overtime, Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas for an 80 yard, game winning touchdown.
“He (Demaryius Thomas) got inside of our cornerback and we had a number of people committed to the run,” said head coach Mike Tomlin. “He made a nice catch and was able to break free. The catch is less of an issue than his ability to break free in the run after. The run after was significant, not only on that play, but in several instances tonight.”
Cornerback Ike Taylor, who was covering Thomas on the last play, sat at his locker after the game with his face in his hands and did not make a comment about the game.
“Your heart kind of drops,” said RB Isaac Redman about the final play of the game. “It was just unfortunate to fight back as hard as we did and to end it like that leaves a sour taste in your mouth.”
Roethlisberger ended the game throwing for 289 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Tebow threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for one also.
“He played a good game,” said Roethlisberger. “He made plays when he had to.”
The Broncos will now travel to New England to face the Patriots on Saturday.
Notes: Brett Keisel, Casey Hampton and Max Starks all left the game with injuries and didn’t return… The Steelers are now 4-4 all-time in Wild Card playoff games… The Steelers are 3-4 all-time in the postseason against the Broncos… The Steelers are just 7-10 all-time in the playoffs on the road… The Rascal Flatts sang the National Anthem… As announced in the pressbox, the attendance was 75,658 with only 312 unused tickets
Image Source – (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
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