The final game of the NFL Divisional round went down to the wire and featured plenty of field goals. In the end, it was the Denver Broncos who advanced to the AFC Championship game. Denver was unable to find the end zone until late in the fourth quarter, but it was enough to give the Broncos a 23-16 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With three minutes to play, the Broncos found the end zone for a short TD run to take the lead. The two-point conversion gave Denver a 20-13 lead.
The Steelers were unable to score on their final two drives drive. The Steelers were unable to convert a fourth and five with under two minutes to play and Denver kicked a field goal with 53 seconds left to seal the win. The Steelers quickly added a field goal of their own, but were unable to recover the onside kick.
Third downs were a major issue for both sides. The Broncos were 3 for 15, while the Steelers were just 2 for 12. Denver was 0 for 1 on fourth down and the Steelers were 0 of 2.
The Denver running game struggled early, but found a groove later. The team racked up 109 yards and a score on 33 carries. C.J. Anderson led the way, picking up 72 yards and a score on 15 carries.
Peyton Manning wasn't the Manning of old, but he was good enough for the win. He completed 21 of 37 passes for 222 yards.
Ben Roethlisberger was clearly not 100 percent, but played well. He completed 24 of 37 passes for 339 yards. His top target with Antonio Brown out was Martavis Bryant. He had nine catches for 154 yards.
The Steelers running game struggled, producing just 85 yards and a score on 19 carries. The bulk of that damage came via a 40-yard reverse by Bryant. Fitzgerald Toussaint also had a critical fumble late that led to the go-ahead score for Denver.
After the Steelers went three-and-out to start the game, the Broncos had great field position at the Pittsburgh 30. However, they were forced to settle for a field goal after getting into the red zone. After another Steelers three-and-out later in the first quarter, the Broncos had the ball at the opposing 31-yard line. But once again, they settled for a field goal.
The Steelers scored the first and only TD of the game on the next drive. Pittsburgh added another field goal in the second quarter to stretch the lead to 10-6. Denver added a field goal as time expired in the second half.
A field goal in the third stretch the Steelers lead back to four, but Denver responded with a field goal of their own. The fourth quarter was all Denver, as the Broncos scored 11 points against the Steelers' 3.
The Broncos advance to host the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game Sunday.
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