Steelers vs. Broncos: Ben Roethlisberger's Injury, Steelers' Woes Set Up Tebow

Despite the fact that the Denver Broncos won the AFC West and will be playing host to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, nobody is giving the nine-point underdogs much of a chance to come out on top. Several factors put the Broncos and quarterback Tim Tebow in the line for the upset, though.

Not only will the Steelers be without starting running back Rashard Mendenhall, who tore his ACL on Sunday, but there are several other key players walking wounded. The most notable of them is quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who has been fighting through a gimpy ankle for about a month.

Pittsburgh will also be without safety Ryan Clark whose sickle cell condition makes it dangerous to play at high altitudes. Also, while linebacker LaMarr Woodley will be back in action, it remains to be seen how effective he will be after missing seven of the past eight games with a hamstring injury.

It's perfectly understandable why some are down on the Broncos. They lost their last three games of the regular season and "backed into" the playoffs as many like to say. Also, Tebow certainly wasn't as effective as he was during the team's six-game winning streak.

While it's possible that part of that is because the league has started to figure out his unorthodox style, I think it has been more of a case of the team as a whole not playing together. Denver isn't an explosive team by any means, so every phase of the game has to be in sync.

The Pittsburgh team that the Broncos will be facing went 12-4 in the regular season, but it is undoubtedly compromised by injury. In addition to the previously mention ailments, center Maurkice Pouncey is very much in question after he reportedly suffered a setback during his recovery from an ankle injury.

If Pouncey can't go then it will leave an already-suspect Steelers' offensive line in rough shape, especially with guard Doug Legursky just coming off an injury of his own. Roethlisberger is often battered by opposing pass rushes with his line at full strength, so this opens him up for even more punishment.

The Broncos have one of the most explosive pass rushing duos in the game between Elvis Dumervil and rookie Von Miller. Big Ben's ankle injury hurts his mobility in a major way and the lack of a great offensive line could prove very troublesome.

Provided the Broncos' pass rushers can disrupt Roethlisberger, it will put Tebow in a good spot. For Tebow to be at his very best, Denver either has to be ahead, or at least very close in the game. This way he doesn't have to throw caution to the wind and sling the ball all over the field.

Running the ball against Pittsburgh in the traditional sense can seem like an impossibility at times, but Denver's rushing is anything but traditional. Tebow and running back Willis McGahee run the option with great effectiveness and it has been one of the biggest reasons for the team's success.

The injuries to Roethlisberger and his offensive line should limit the Steelers' offensive success and, in turn, benefit the Broncos' offense in a big way. It's understandable why Pittsburgh is favored on the road, but the combination of home-field advantage and relative health puts Denver in position.