NFL Playoff Scenarios: Why Steelers Are Destined for Tebow Humiliation

There are very few sure things in the NFL playoff races at the moment, but there are a couple of exceptions.

For example, we can take a look at two races in the AFC, one in the AFC West and one for the first wild-card berth.

The Denver Broncos have the AFC West pretty well under wraps. They have a one-game lead on the Oakland Raiders, and they won't really be in trouble unless they lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17, which is not going to happen.

They also have Tebow Time going for them. No doubt you've heard all about it.

Concerning the AFC's No. 1 wild card, the Pittsburgh Steelers are a lock to come away with it. They actually deserve better, but they don't have much leeway in the AFC North race because the Baltimore Ravens beat them twice. The Ravens are not going to fall flat and give up the division crown, so the Steelers will have to settle for a wild-card berth.

If so, the Broncos will enter the playoffs as the AFC's No. 4 seed, with the Steelers entering as the No. 5 seed.

And you know what that means...

Yup, it means the Steelers would have to travel to Denver to take on Tim Tebow and the Broncos in the wild-card round. 

As far as matchups go, they don't get much better than this. 

Two things stand out about this potential matchup. The first is that it would likely be a defensive struggle, as the Steelers' defense is just as good this year as it's ever been, as it ranks among the very best in the league in virtually every major category.

The Broncos' defense, meanwhile, has been playing very well during the team's six-game win streak, which is not an accident given its personnel and the fact it is overseen by a defensive whiz in John Fox.

And then, of course, you have the quarterback matchup between Ben Roethlisberger and Tim Tebow. It will be one of the best quarterbacks of his generation against the best quarterback of all time—at least, according to some circles.

That's a bit of an exaggeration, but it is not an exaggeration to say that the Broncos would have an advantage in this game—more than one, actually.

The Broncos are winning games these days because they're able to keep them close, and the Steelers are a team they would be able to keep close. When they're at their best, the Steelers are a good offensive team, but they are not an elite offensive team. We've seen them struggle to score points on several occasions this season, and they would do so again versus Denver's defense.

To be sure, the Steelers would keep Tebow in check as well, as he's only shown he can play a full four quarters against defenses that are well south of good. Against the Steelers, Tebow would spend the bulk of the game looking awful, which is business as usual.

However, eventually, it would be Tebow Time.

If the Broncos need a late score to keep the game alive, there's no reason to think Tebow can't provide it. If the Broncos need a late score to win the game, Tebow can provide one of those, too. Assuming he will is becoming a cliché, but there's a reason clichés become clichés.

It helps that Tebow has Matt Prater at his back. We've seen Prater show off his strong leg this season, and it's even stronger in the thin Denver air. If he is needed, he will be ready.

Make no mistake, this is a matchup that carries all sorts of bad vibes for the Steelers. They are a good team, but they aren't quite as invincible as they were last year or in years prior. The Broncos, on the other hand, are a team on the rise, not to mention one that nobody should want to play right now.

Their defense is one reason for that. The other...

Well, I think you know what it is.

Combined, these two reasons will spell doom for the Steelers. 

When the deed is done, Tebow's legend will grow.