NFL Monday Night Football - Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos

Monday, November 9th – 8:30 PM ET
Invesco Field – Denver, CO
NFL Point Spread: Steelers -3, O/U: 39.5 

The Pittsburgh Steelers were expected to mount a strong defense of their Super Bowl title in 2009, and compete for the AFC crown once again. The Denver Broncos were expected to struggle. Without Jay Cutler and Mike Shanahan, the Broncos turned to 33-year-old rookie head coach Josh McDaniels, unproven quarterback Kyle Orton, and troublemaking prima donna receiver Brandon Marshall, among others, to get things done. Surprisingly, the new regime has surpassed all expectations in the Mile High City, storming to a 6-1 record with a heavy dose of defense, but also a considerable amount of clutch playmaking from the skill positions. This Monday matchup with the defending champions will offer a supreme test of Denver’s quality.  

NFL Handicapping: What The Steelers Have To Do To Win 

Run the ball. Pittsburgh has fattened up on lousy competition, a recurring theme around the league this season. The Steelers were ho-hum in recent wins over Detroit and Cleveland, and needed two defensive touchdowns to slip past Minnesota on Oct. 25. If the defending champions are to win in Denver, they’re going to have to run the ball as they did in their best performance of 2009, a 38-28 win over San Diego on Oct. 4. In that contest, running back Rashard Mendenhall busted loose for 165 yards; unsurprisingly, Pittsburgh Steelers posted its highest point total of the year, because quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is so good at scanning defenses with his size and finding open targets.  

Denver is a team that feasts on quarterbacks in predictable passing situations, with an array of blitz packages that cause passers to release the ball before receivers make cuts and other adjustments in their routes. If coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t get a big game from Mendenhall and his offensive front, it’s hard to see how Big Ben will be able to post sizeable numbers in Colorado. 

NFL Handicapping: What The Broncos Have To Do To Win 

Get an efficient game from Kyle Orton. There’s no question that Orton has been a pleasant surprise since replacing Jay Cutler as the starting signal caller for this franchise. Yet, it can’t be denied that Orton didn’t fare well under pressure in Chicago, and has yet to lead a team into and through the playoffs. Denver currently sits in the No. 2 position in the AFC seeding picture, but in order for that place to hold up over the next nine games, Orton will have to prove himself on big stages against elite competition. Last week, a very strong Baltimore defense smothered Orton’s offense in a 30-7 Denver loss. In order to avoid a two-game losing streak, the Broncos will need Orton to bounce back. If the Purdue product makes noticeable missteps, Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will have his players in position to pounce. The key will be for Orton to make check downs against blitz packages and throw high-percentage passes on first down, thereby avoiding third-and-long situations.