• The man to whom Jesus prays has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month. [DenverBroncos.com]
• Teams have cracked the code on Tim Tebow. [CBS4 Denver]
• Can Tebow “pull the trigger” without shooting himself in the foot? [Shutdown Corner]
• Woody Paige breaks down a gameplan and tackles other notes in his mailbag. [Denver Post]
• Von Miller talks about playing with a cast. [MaxDenver]
• Notes from Dove Valley. [MaxDenver]
• Steelers backup RB Isaac Redman is chomping at the bit. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]
• Backup safety Ryan Mundy is used to being Troy Polamalu‘s backup, not sidekick. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]
• It’s been awhile, Detroit, Houston, and Cincinnati: fun little playoff quiz. [Shutdown Corner]

Coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers salutes the fans after a win over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on November 13, 2011 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Steelers won 24-17. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin sang the praises of Pittsburgh Steelers fans Wednesday — particularly their ability to travel.

“It’s not something that you get used to. I’m continually surprised and awed by that, particularly when we’re out west. We’ve got world-championship-caliber fans, and that’s why we work so hard to produce results on the field for them.” — Tomlin

“It’s awesome. I think it kind of blows most people away. When you’re on the road and you have guys on other teams that aren’t used to seeing that.” — Roethlisberger

If you see or hear about Denver Broncos fans pawning their tickets to Steelers fans, give them hell for selling out. Serious. Hell. The only team that should be “blown away” by the crowd at Sports Authority Field at Mile High this weekend is the visiting one.

Tomlin, Roethlisberger: Steelers fans are amazing [First and Orange]

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers walks off the field against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on January 1, 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was in good spirits during a teleconference with Denver media Wednesday, but the two-time Super Bowl champion admitted that his ankle isn’t as healthy as he’d like it to be.

When asked to rate how his ankle feels on a scale of 1-10, Big Ben answered ‘5.’

“It’s not bad,” Roethlisberger said. “We had a little setback last week in the (Cleveland) game. We’re working really hard, the trainers and staff, to get it back feeling like it did before that game. It felt pretty good before the game.”

The Denver Post reports that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn’t concerned, since there’s a lot of work that can be done with his ankle before Sunday.

“I’m not worried about how he feels right now,” Tomlin said. “Hopefully, he’s not a ‘5’ on Sunday. I doubt he will be.”

A ‘5’ is basically 50%. Facing a quarterback at half-speed (or even less-than-full-speed) has to be a key point of focus for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen… and a mouthwatering proposition for sackmasters Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller.

• “It’s 16 games,” John Elway said. “It’s the body of work that got us to where we are.” [Denver Post]
• Elway wants Tim Tebow to “pull the trigger” in the playoffs. [Denver Post]
• “John (Fox) has done a tremendous job,” Elway said on Elway Live. [DenverBroncos.com]
• Meanwhile, others are already wondering if it’s Brady Quinn time. (seriously?!) [Denver Post]
• PFF breaks down Broncos–Chiefs, which was Tebow’s worst game to date. [Pro Football Focus]
• The Steelers are confident they’ll be getting starting left guard Doug Legursky and outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley back this Sunday. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]
• Perhaps a sign that Broncos fans are holding onto their tickets? [First and Orange]
• Terrell Suggs needs to keep his mouth shut. [Predominantly Orange]

Here’s another hilarious Kyle Orton video spoof, courtesy of the LandlockedPioneers.

Watch the original farewell video here and the follow-up video here. 

The Denver Broncos on Tuesday signed linebacker Brian Iwuh and released safety Kyle McCarthy, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post.  It is expected that McCarthy will be re-signed to the team’s practice squad.

Iwuh most recently played in Chicago, filling a special teams role that he has held since he entered the league in 2006 with Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent.  A former Colorado Buffalo, Iwuh joins the Broncos as a 6-foot, 235 pound, six-year veteran with 115 career tackles and one sack.

Iwuh has not yet been assigned a jersey number, and the details of his contract are not known.  Brian’s last name is pronounced as “E-woo”.

With the regular season now over, we’ll be rolling out several videos highlighting the Broncos 2011 season and individual player performances.  First up:  Rookie linebacker Von Miller.

Steelers are nine-point favorites

Posted in Broncos Blog by Monty on Tue Jan 3rd

Defenders Troy Polamalu #43, William Gay #22 and Ike Taylor #24 of the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

Linesmakers aren’t impressed with the Denver Broncos, or how they made it into the playoffs. The traveling Pittsburgh Steelers are nine-point favorites for this weekend’s playoff matchup against the home team, according to Bovada (formerly Bodog).

With the implicit three-point nudge for the home team, that means the Steelers would be 15-point favorites if they were at home. Wowza.

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Chargers keeping Norv Turner, A.J. Smith

Posted in Broncos News by Monty on Tue Jan 3rd

San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner gestures for a face mask. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein

Sssshhhhhh…. don’t share that with Dean Spanos.

The San Diego Chargers president has elected to keep head coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith, the Associated Press reports, despite another underwhelming season and a roster increasingly eroding of talent.

The Chargers finished 8-8 in 2011 but boasted two 4-1 streaks: one at the beginning of the season and one at the end. They lost six straight in between. Clearly that 4-1 finish — combined with knocking the Oakland Raiders out of the playoffs in the season finale — was enough for Spanos to spare his men in charge.

But should it have been? Spanos has a five-year sample from which to draw expectations on his duo, and it’s been more disappointing than promising: Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Steelers injury report: Ryan Clark won’t play vs. Broncos in playoffs

Posted in Broncos Buzz by Monty on Tue Jan 3rd

Safety Ryan Clark #25 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on December 19, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Karl Walter/Getty Images)

In 2007, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark suffered one of the NFL’s largest health scares of the last decade. The fallout is still being felt today.

Four years ago, playing in the high altitude in Denver, Clark had to be rushed to the hospital because his spleen was shutting down. Clark’s sickle cell trait and Denver’s high altitude caused the crisis, and ultimately the safety lost his spleen, gall bladder, and 30 pounds due to the ordeal.

This weekend would mark the third time since then that the Steelers have played the Broncos in Denver. Every time, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has sat an otherwise healthy Clark, even when doctors have cleared Clark to play.

Today, Tomlin informed Clark that a playoff game doesn’t make a difference. Calling it an “easy decision,” Tomlin informed Clark that he will sit.

“I met with Ryan Clark and have informed him I am not going to allow him to play in this game,” Tomlin said.

Ryan Mundy, a third-year Steeler with only two career starts but over 90 career tackles, will start in Clark’s place.

As unbiased, unselfishly, and objectively as a Broncos fan can muster: kudos to Tomlin for taking care of his player first. And as Florio points out, if you’re going to be thin in the secondary, it might as well be against the Broncos.

/ducks for cover

Tomlin informs Ryan Clark he won’t face Broncos [ProFootballTalk]