Denver Broncos vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Full Denver Game Preview

Coming off a disappointing loss against the Oakland Raiders in Week 14, the Denver Broncos must now go on the road to face one of the NFL's hottest teams in the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Broncos will have to erase last week's performance from their minds in a hurry if they are to go to Heinz Field and derail a Steelers team that is clicking on all cylinders. Given recent history, the Steelers likely have had this game circled on their calendars.

Many fans in Pittsburgh still haven't forgotten the playoff loss the Broncos handed the Steelers back in 2012. Tim Tebow helped Denver earn that win.

In fact, Denver has won four of the last five meetings between these teams and holds an 18-10-1 edge in the all-time series, which dates back to 1970.

Read on for a complete preview of this game as we dissect some of the key matchups to look for, get you caught up on some of the latest news concerning the Broncos and make a final prediction.

Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh

Time: 4:25 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Week 14 Recap

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Things had been going very smoothly since the Broncos turned to Brock Osweiler at quarterback, allowing Peyton Manning to nurse some nagging injuries. The second-year passer from Arizona State had won his first three starts.

That all came to a crashing halt in Week 14 as Khalil Mack registered five sacks—all in the second half—to lead the Raiders to an upset win at Sports Authority Field. The consequences of this loss haven't taken full effect, but it could ultimately cost the Broncos a chance to have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Though Osweiler should not be blamed for the defeat, the performance of the team opens the door for questions regarding Manning's return and how soon.

The Broncos were plagued by dropped passes and terrible offensive line play. Jack Del Rio's team took advantage, making the Broncos pay for the sluggish performance and leaving with a 15-12 win.

Though Osweiler passed for a career-high 308 yards in the game, he failed to get the Broncos into the end zone. Four Brandon McManus field goals accounted for all of Denver's points.

Oakland ended a streak of eight consecutive losses to the Broncos, a string of games which dated back to September 2011.

News and Notes

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Peyton Manning Returns to Practice

Manning returned to practice for the Broncos on Wednesday, an encouraging sight for those who still feel he can get the job done for this team. However, Osweiler will get the start against the Steelers on Sunday, as noted by Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. 

This seems like the right call. Manning should be eased back into the lineup. It also makes sense to wait until the team has a home game to put him in. Perhaps Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals? There will be a lot riding on that game.

Manning hasn't played since an ugly performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10. He completed just five passes in that game while throwing four interceptions.

Making Osweiler the starter for a tough road game against Pittsburgh gives the young quarterback a chance to make a claim to keep the job. However, if he goes in and fails miserably, it also creates a situation where Manning will likely be rushed back.

Trent Richardson and Several Veterans Work Out for Broncos

The Broncos continue to bring in waves of players to be evaluated for future contracts. Many notable names were at the team's training center earlier this week, including former first-round draft pick Trent Richardson. 

Richardson was the No. 3 overall pick of the 2012 NFL draft and had a successful rookie season for the Cleveland Browns, scoring 12 touchdowns. But he was washed out of the league after just two more seasons.

It will be interesting to see if he catches on in Denver.

For a look at all of the players who worked out for the team, Andrew Mason of Denver's official website has that list here.

Michael Schofield Takes Responsibility for Poor Performance

As mentioned earlier, Mack had five sacks for the Raiders, tying Howie Long's franchise record for single- game sacks. Four of those five came against offensive tackle Michael Schofield.

Schofield didn't make any excuses. Following the game he told reporters, "That was definitely probably one of my worst games of all time," as reported by Mike Klis of 9News.

Hopefully, Schofield can learn from that poor performance. Mack is clearly one of the league's best defensive players, but he was running around—and sometimes—right over Schofield last Sunday.

Latest Injury News

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Danny Trevathan

Danny Trevathan was absent from the loss to Oakland due to a concussion suffered the week before against the San Diego Chargers. As Andrew Mason of the team's official website reports, Trevathan was back practicing with the team on Wednesday.

He should be expected to play against Pittsburgh.

C.J. Anderson

C.J. Anderson was in uniform against Oakland but never took the field. His absence was clearly felt as the Broncos struggled to get the running game going, gaining just 34 yards on the ground.

Anderson continues to work through an ankle injury, but Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports that he is expected to be back this week.

Omar Bolden and David Bruton

Omar Bolden and David Bruton both practiced in full with the team on Wednesday, according to Mason. This is a good sign for a team that is experiencing mounting problems at the safety position.

Bolden and Bruton both missed the game against the Raiders, as did T.J. Ward. The team's training staff continued to work with Ward on Wednesday while the team's other starting safety, Darian Stewart, watched from the sidelines. Stewart tweaked his hamstring against the Raiders.

Evan Mathis

Evan Mathis also was a spectator in practice on Wednesday, according to Mason. His chances of playing on Sunday may not be great as a result, which would force the Broncos to start rookie Max Garcia once again in his place.

Denver needs all the healthy options it can get along the offensive line as the playoffs draw closer. So it's best to wait until Mathis is back to 100 percent—or at least as close as he can get to that.

Key Matchups

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The Broncos will bring in an offense that has struggled, scoring just 12 points last week. Pittsburgh is ranked No. 23 in total defense. Perhaps the game will be decided on that side of the ball, but the story of this game will be whether the Broncos' No. 1 overall defense can slow down Pittsburgh's No. 2 offense.

Denver Secondary vs. Antonio Brown

There is no doubt that Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown presents a challenging option for the defense. Aqib Talib has had a great season, but Brown may be too quick and shifty for him. As a result, Chris Harris could draw this assignment. It probably makes more sense to put Talib on Martavis Bryant.

Either way, the Broncos will have their hands full.

Brown averages about 11 targets a game, but that number goes up when Ben Roethlisberger is in at quarterback. He's also already caught 100 passes this year and is averaging 14 yards per catch. He has reeled in at least eight passes in six games this season.

Brown is a threat to create big plays any time he gets his hands on the ball. Denver should study tape of Richard Sherman, who was able to slow Brown down when the Seattle Seahawks played the Steelers back in November.

Sherman got physical with Brown in that game, rarely letting him get a free release.

Emmanuel Sanders vs. Pittsburgh Secondary

Emmanuel Sanders spent the first four years of his career in Pittsburgh, so he's likely eager for this matchup.

Sanders has caught a total of just five passes in Denver's last two games, so Osweiler should look to get him going early in this one.

Last week against the Steelers, Cincinnati's AJ McCarron was able to come in and throw for 280 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Andy Dalton. This Pittsburgh defense can be beaten with the deep ball.

Michael Schofield vs. Stephon Tuitt

The Steelers have definitely seen the film of Schofield being dominated by Mack last week. Now they'll try to unleash their own second-year stud defender on him.

Stephon Tuitt will be a tough matchup for Schofield, and if he struggles like he did last week, head coach Gary Kubiak may need to have a backup plan in place or provide help on that side of the line. 

Tuitt has registered 4.5 sacks this season. 

X-Factor

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Broncos X-Factor Player of the Week: Malik Jackson

The Steelers have plenty of weapons on offense. Brown and Bryant can stretch the defense, and Markus Wheaton also is capable of making plays. If everything down the field is covered, Roethlisberger can check the ball down to his tight end Heath Miller. 

DeAngelo Williams has also proved to be one of the best free-agent signings for any team this season, carrying the Steelers' running game in place of the injured Le'Veon Bell.

The only way to slow this offense down is to get pressure on Roethlisberger and collapse the pocket. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips needs to find a way to do that on a consistent basis on Sunday.

Linebackers Von Miller, Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett all will be key factors, but defensive end Malik Jackson needs to have a big game. If the linebackers are able to flush Roethlisberger outside, Jackson could benefit.

Jackson has 3.5 sacks on the season. However, don't overlook his ability to knock down passes at the line of scrimmage. Oftentimes that's the next best thing to a sack. Jackson has been credited with seven passes defensed this season.

The Broncos need to get a minimum of four sacks in this game. They must force Roethlisberger to come off his receivers and throw the ball away to prevent a sack. Consistent pressure will force mistakes, and hits on the quarterback will take their toll.

Look for Jackson to perform well in this game.

Prediction

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The Steelers would be considered one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs, yet if the season ended now, they would be on the outside looking in.

There is no doubt they will be ready for this game, and they get the advantage of having it at home.

Pittsburgh has piled up points in bunches this season. While it won't be as easy to do that against the Broncos, the Steelers should still be able to move the ball.

Denver's defense has been up to the task in just about every game this year. It's time for the offense to step up. Four field goals won't get it done this week. If Osweiler leads drives into the red zone, Denver must put touchdowns on the board.

Offensively, the Broncos must also sustain drives. This starts with a successful running game, and getting Anderson back would be a huge boost. Part of the game plan should be to keep Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense off the field.

Still, the offense took such a step backward against Oakland that it's hard to imagine it'll have that all fixed in one week. The defense will make things tough on Pittsburgh, but in the end, the home team gets the nod here.

Final Prediction: Steelers 20, Broncos 17