Peyton Manning earned one more and possibly final game against his rival by leading the Denver Broncos to a come-from-behind 23-16 win over Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers on a blustery Sunday. You could feel it in the throwing.
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“We can’t wait for no one to make plays for us”. “This is the time of year when every team is playing at its peak, so we’ve got to be better”. This time it arrived in the form of Bradley Roby stripping the ball away from Steelers tailback Fitzgerald Toussaint, a fumble that bounced in the general direction of DeMarcus Ware.
At CBS Scene in the shadow of Gillette Stadium, the Denver Broncos and Steelers match-up took center stage.
McManus said the wind didn’t kick up until right before kickoff. “It cost us today”.
In the third quarter, the Steelers were up 10-9 and had the ball at the Denver 10.
“I think everybody understands when you’re in the fourth quarter that there’s a sense of urgency, especially when you’re behind, you’re losing the game and you realize your opportunities are getting fewer and fewer”, Manning said.
Broncos fans held out in the minority amongst a sea of black and yellow until the end of the game, when the orange and blue moved forward into the division championship.
Back in the locker room, Roethlisberger tried to convince the running back that this loss wasn’t his fault.
His fumble, with 9:52 left in the fourth quarter, was the only turnover of the day and it led to Denver’s only touchdown of the day – the go-ahead score with 3 minutes left that sparked the Broncos to a 23-16 victory.
“Our defence is guiding us, let’s make that clear”, Manning told reporters after completing 21-of-37 passes for 222 yards with no scores or interceptions.
The strong crosswind was Brandon McManus’ toughest obstacle as he set up for his 51-yard field goal attempt with 5 seconds remaining in the first half.
Roethlisberger completed 24 of 37 passes for 339 yards despite playing with a sore right shoulder and missing his top receiver – Antonio Brown (concussion) and rusher – DeAngelo Williams (foot). “It’s emotional for everybody because everybody appreciates everybody else’s effort”. Linebacker Dont’a Hightower left the game with an injury in the second quarter and didn’t return, while tight end Rob Gronkowski was injured in the final minutes of regulation and also didn’t come back.
Manning and Brady have faced each other 16 times before, a full season’s worth of matchups between the two quarterbacks whose careers are so intertwined that a conversation about one nearly has to include the other, like Bird-Magic or Ali-Frazier.
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning passes against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half in an NFL football divisional playoff game, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016, in Denver. But the 13-play touchdown drive that followed was still 10 runs and just three Manning throws.
Graham Gano kicked a field goal to stretch Carolina’s lead to 24-0 before Newton picked out Greg Olsen in the endzone to put the Panthers 31-0 ahead.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, neither player was able to translate those impressive numbers into points on the scoreboard. Martavis Bryant had nine catches for 154 yards.
So on a windy, sun-swept Colorado afternoon when they simply could not pull one big, decisive play out of their battered-to-tatters hat, the Steelers watched a season die in the shaky hands of the great Peyton Manning, the oldest player on the field.
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Later, a frightful 27-yard punt by Jordan Berry gave the Broncos the ball at the Steelers’ 31-yard line.
