Lower Expectations: Steelers Wild Card Preview

Here is the bad news -- the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) are limping into the playoffs.  Big Ben is still suffering the ill effects of a high ankle sprain and a broken thumb on his throwing hand, along with who knows what else.  Feature running back Rashard Mendenhall was lost in the last (and meaningless) game of the regular season with a torn ACL and is gone for the playoffs.  Two other running backs, Mewelde Moore and Jonathan Dwyer are injured; outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley is ailing; and free safety Ryan Clark has a rare disease that will prevent him from playing in the high altitude at Denver.

And that's the good news folks -- the Steelers play the Denver Broncos (8-8) who backed into the playoffs with a three game losing skid, including an embarrassing 7-3 loss at home to the Kansas City Chefs in the regular season finale.  The wheels are coming off the Tim Tebow bandwagon with the sudden realization that their quarterback can't hid the broad side of a barn with B.B. gun.  Everyone and their red-headed Aunt Petunia is expecting a blow-out win for Pittsburgh.

But therein lies the real problem: expectations.  High expectations are always an invitation for disappointment.  Think of how much happier women would be with their husbands if they did not have expectations.  So, Steeler Nation should do ourselves a favor and lower them now.  Is the Steeler Face about to pick an upset win for Denver over Pittsburgh in the AFC Wild Card game?  No.  However, the Steeler Face is looking into his Magic Cuss Ball and foresees the ill effects of many injuries, an offense struggling to score points, a defense struggling to force turnovers, inexcusable piss poor clock management (an ongoing weakness of Coach Tomlin), and of course biased officiating (especially if James "Excessive Awesomeness" Harrison happens to make a tackle).  While I'd like to forecast a 35-7 win for the Steelers, the Magic Cuss Ball suggests that I should lower my expectations to something more along the lines of Pittsburgh escaping with a narrow win after a painful crapfest.  Therefore, I'll give the Broncos 15 points (to match Tebow's jersey number) and will forecast a 16-15 win for the Steelers (and thus, expectations will be appropriately lowered for the next contest).  The Steeler Face is 10-5 (with one perfect pick) on the season picking Steeler games.

The Steelers' Wild Card game in Denver will be its first road playoff game in six years, when Pittsburgh won the AFC Championship 34-17 at Denver on January 22, 2006.  By the way, if you'd like a little emotional pick-me-up, I'd strongly suggest that you break out that video you've kept of the game for a little mid-week re-airing.  By the way, that game was also the Broncos last playoff appearance.

All-time the Steelers are 3-3 vs. Denver in the postseason.  Here is a brief recap of that history:

January 22, 2006: Pittsburgh 34, Denver 17, AFC Championship Game

Let the Big Ben era begin

January 11, 1998: Pittsburgh 21, Denver 24, AFC Championship Game

Which Denver Bronco would like to intercept this pass?

January 7, 1990: Pittsburgh 23, Denver 24, Divisional Playoff Game

Isn't that the guy on ESPN's NFL Matchup?

December 20, 1984: Pittsburgh 24, Denver 17, Divisional Playoff Game

Merriweather is in the forecast!

December 30, 1978: Pittsburgh 33, Denver 10, Divisional Playoff Game

December 23, 1974: Pittsburgh 21, Denver 34, Divisional Playoff Game