The Pittsburgh Steelers' franchise has plenty of heartbreaking losses in the postseason, and on multiple occasions, they came thanks to the Denver Broncos. In 2015, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers finished the season 10-6 and earned the sixth and final seed in the AFC playoffs. Denver, led by Peyton Manning, was 12-4 as the conference's number one seed. After taking down the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in the Wild Card Round, Roethlisberger and the Steelers came up short in Denver which led to the Broncos winning Super Bowl 50.
Mile High Report
Steelers fall to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in the 2015 AFC Divisional Round by a score of 23-16.
During the Steelers' Monday Night Football matchup with the New York Giants, the Manning brothers talked about a controversial play that the Broncos quarterback had executed which came in their victory over the Steelers in the 2015 playoffs.
Pittsburgh led Denver by one point as the fourth quarter had just begun. As Manning ran a play-action pass, he was quickly under pressure and fell to the ground, which should have stopped the play as a sack. Instead, the officials did not blow any whistles and Manning quickly got up and executed a pass of over 30 yards to former Pittsburgh wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.
"It's called playing possum! You stay down just long enough," Manning said as he tried to explain his tactics. "Count one-thousand one, one-thousand two, you get up and hit a comeback on the Steelers."
The Pittsburgh defense would go on to force a punt on that drive anyway, but the offense immediately gave the ball back to Manning and the Broncos after a fumble. The Broncos would then go up by a score of 20-13, and Pittsburgh wouldn't punch the ball into the end zone the rest of the game. Manning finished the contest against the Steelers with just over 200 passing yards and no touchdowns or interceptions.
Denver wound up defeating Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game and secured victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl L, riding Manning off into the sunset and into retirement.
Sports Illustrated
The Steelers come up short in the 2015 AFC Playoffs, as Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos go on to win Super Bowl 50.
The next season, the Steelers won two playoff games during the Wild Card and Divisional Rounds, but got blown out by the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. Pittsburgh hasn't had a postseason victory since, and that alludes to the fans' frustrations with the organization in recent years.
Steelers Have Strong Hope Of Snapping Frustrating Playoff Losing Streak In 2024
Since the Steelers' 2016 win against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round, Mike Tomlin has lost five straight games in the playoffs. Miraculously, Pittsburgh reached the playoffs in 2023, but never stood a real chance against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
After starting off 2024 with a 6-2 record before the Week 9 bye week, Steeler Nation is extremely optimistic about the team's chances of bouncing back in the playoffs. Pittsburgh has one of, if not the best, defenses in the entire NFL, as well as a much more productive offense.
There really aren't any powerhouse teams in the AFC that the Steelers can't beat. Even though Kansas City is undefeated, the team is barely sneaking by teams. The Steelers can compete with anybody in the league, and that hasn't been said in recent seasons.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers' Head Coach Mike Tomlin taking the field for the team's Week 3 home opener against the 2-0 Chargers in 2024.
This Steelers team is different in 2024, and there is a clear sense of urgency between the players and franchise of getting a postseason win. If they come up short again of a playoff win this season, the fan-base is going to be fed up.
What do you think of Manning's play against the Steelers in 2015? What do you remember when it occurred? Will Tomlin and the Steelers finally snap their five game losing streak in the playoffs this season? Let us know in the comments below.
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