NFL Playoff Picture: Sliding Broncos Will Give Injured Steelers False Hope

It won't be a pretty game, but the Steelers will win on Sunday and end the Broncos' season. Looking beyond that, though, the picture is bleak for the Steelers. 

Depending on the results of the Bengals vs. Texans game, the Steelers will need to take a trip to New England or Baltimore in the divisional round. Neither of those games will provide positive results for Pittsburgh. 

Baltimore Ravens

Remember that the Ravens have already beaten the Steelers twice in 2011. The game in Baltimore was an absolute blowout.

The Steelers would be forced to go into this game with a hobbled Ben Roethlisberger. When the Steelers took on the 49ers, we saw Ben Roethlisberger struggle all game to take on a team with a good pass rush. And as good as the 49ers' defense is, their pass rush is not at the Ravens' level, not yet. 

Ben Roethlisberger will be banged up in every game he plays until the season is over. Ankle injuries don't go away quickly and they certainly aren't going to go away when the injured person is playing football for a living. 

The Steelers would do well against the Ravens' offense, but the Ravens' defense will be too much to overcome. Baltimore would win the field position battle, control the clock, and beat the Steelers. The other potential opponent would be a little different. 

New England Patriots

The Patriots can put pressure on the quarterback, and that's what would make the difference in this one. They don't defend the pass well at all once the ball is thrown, but Roetlisberger's inability to move will be too much to overcome. 

What will also be too much to overcome is the fact that the Steelers won't have Rashard Mendenhall. That will keep them from sustaining drives and winning the field position game. As a result, Tom Brady will spend too much time on the field for the Steelers' liking.

The Steelers did beat the Patriots earlier in the season, but that was a different team. Ben Roethlisberger was not nearly this banged up, Maurkice Pouncey will either not play or will be playing for the first time in several weeks, Mendenhall won't play, and the game will be in New England.

That's too much to overcome. The Steelers would put up points in this one, but they wouldn't come anywhere near the Patriots' output.  

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