Wild Card, 2011: Denver 29 Pittsburgh 23

Game information
This game was the first one ever played under the league's new overtime rules, in which winning would be more difficult for the team that won the coin toss because the game would not end on an opening field goal. It did not matter, as it took Denver just one play to win with Tim Tebow's 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas.

Pittsburgh scored on their opening drive, with Ben Roethlisberger's 33-yard completion to tight end Heath Miller setting up a 45-yard field goal by Shaun Suisham. Later in the quarter, Steelers running back Isaac Redman rushed five times for 33 yards on a 47-yard drive that ended with Suisham's 38-yard field goal, increasing the score to 6–0.

But Denver, which gained just eight yards in the first quarter, suddenly exploded with offensive production in the second. On their first drive of the quarter, Tebow completed a 51-yard strike to Thomas. Then he followed it up with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Royal. Following a Pittsburgh punt, Tebow's 58-yard completion to Thomas set up his own touchdown on an 8-yard run, giving the Broncos a 14–6 lead. An interception by Quinton Carter quickly led to a 20-yard field goal from Matt Prater, and before the end of the half, Prater added one more, the second set up by Tebow's 41-yard completion to tight end Daniel Fells. With time running out in the quarter, Roethlisberger completed a 25-yard pass to Antonio Brown and an 18-yarder to Emmanuel Sanders on a drive that advanced to the Broncos 32-yard line. But on third down, a fumbled snap resulted in a 23-yard loss, pushing the team out of field goal range.

Pittsburgh regrouped in the second half. After its defense forced a punt, Roethlisberger completed an 18-yard pass to Sanders and Redman broke off a 32-yard run on the way to a 1-yard touchdown run by receiver Mike Wallace on an end-around play, cutting the score to 20–13. Denver struck back with their third field goal from Prater, aided by a 32-yard pass interference penalty on Ike Taylor, but Pittsburgh responded with their own field goal-drive, featuring a 28-yard run by Redman, making it a one-score game at 23–16.

With 7:35 left in regulation, Denver running back Willis McGahee lost a fumble while being tackled by Ryan Mundy, and linebacker LaMarr Woodley recovered it at the Steelers 45-yard line. Though Roethlisberger was sacked on the first play, he recovered with a 15-yard completion to Sanders and a 6-yard run before tying the game with a 31-yard touchdown completion to Jerricho Cotchery. Both teams had one more drive to attempt a winning score, but Denver could go no further than their own 35-yard line, while Roethlisberger was sacked twice on his drive as time expired in the fourth quarter.

Following a touchback on the opening kickoff, Pittsburgh anticipated that Denver would take to the ground, so the Steelers defense put all 11 players within six yards of the line of scrimmage. But Tebow hit Thomas in stride on a slant pattern across the middle of the field, and he took the ball 80 yards to the end zone for the game-winning score.

Tebow completed only 10 of 21 passes, but threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns without any interceptions, and added 50 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and also set a franchise record for passer rating in a playoff game, with 125.5. Thomas had 204 yards and a touchdown on just four receptions, an average of 51 yards per catch. Defensive end Robert Ayers had two sacks. For the Steelers, Redman finished with a career-high 121 rushing yards.

Many observers have pointed out the symbolism of Tebow's 316 passing yards in comparison to the Biblical passage of John 3:16. Tebow – known for his strong religious beliefs – had the number in black under his eyes when he led the Florida Gators in winning the 2009 BCS National Championship Game, which was played exactly three years to the day before this playoff game. Additionally, he set a playoff record by averaging 31.6 yards per completion. The only interception of the game was thrown by Roethlisberger on third down and 16. The Nielsen ratings for the game also peaked at 31.6. Pittsburgh's time of possession was 31:06. In addition, Thomas, who caught the winning touchdown pass in overtime, was born on Christmas Day in 1987.

Denver won its first playoff game at home since defeating the New England Patriots in the 2005 playoffs, with their next game seeing them lose to the same Steelers. Pittsburgh failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2007, after winning the AFC Championship Game the year prior.

This was the seventh postseason meeting between the Steelers and Broncos. Both teams split the first six meetings. Pittsburgh won the most recent meeting 34–17 in the 2005 AFC Championship Game.

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