So much for a defensive shootout, as the Pittsburgh Steelers went on and defeated the Denver Broncos, 34-27. This was a huge win for the Steelers, as they only have to beat the lackluster Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens to find themselves in the playoffs. On the other hand, Denver will need to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals next week to greatly increase their chances of getting a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

Big Day For Brown

Most people don't go off for 16 catches, 189 yards and two touchdowns against one of the league's best corners, Chris Harris Jr. To be fair to Harris, most people aren't Antonio Brown. Harris hadn't allowed a touchdown since 2013, but Brown found a way to get in the end zone twice against him. Brown was getting whatever he wanted all game long, and he is definitely the main reason that the Steelers managed to put up so many points against the great Broncos' defense.

Defense Continues To Force Turnovers

Though the Steelers defense has struggled all season long, they have done a great job in recent weeks when it comes to forcing turnovers. That pattern continued today, as Will Allen forced a fumble on Denver's first drive of the game and Ryan Shazier intercepted Brock Osweiler in the fourth quarter. If they continue to give up almost 400 yards of total offense in games, Pittsburgh will need to continue to force turnovers and give the offense good field position. They did a good job of doing just that today.

Pass-Heavy Offense

In Weeks 14 and 15, Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley did a great job of balancing the offense. There was absolutely no sign of that today. Ben Roethlisberger had to throw the ball 55 times in this game, while DeAngelo Williams only carried the ball 14 times. Against a secondary as good as Denver's, there is no reason that Big Ben should be throwing the ball that many times. Williams is a great running back, especially for a 32-year-old who came into the season expecting to be a backup. The lack of a running game was likely the reason for Roethlisberger's two interceptions, and Haley must do a better job of keeping the offense unpredictable in the future.

Offensive Line Woes

If the Steelers plan to throw the ball 55 times again in the future, the offensive line will need to do a better job of protecting Roethlisberger. Big Ben was sacked three times and was hurried a handful more. The line also got called for holding four different times in the game. Cody Wallace was terrible in the game, particularly in pass blocking. He was penalized three times for a total of 35 yards on the day. To go along with the poor pass blocking, the line also deserves some of the blame for the one-dimensional offense, as Williams didn't even average two yards per carry on the day. The big guys up front will definitely have to step their game up in the weeks to come.

Looking Ahead

Technically, the Steelers can still win the division if the Cincinnati Bengals lose out and Pittsburgh wins out. The latter seems more likely, as the Steelers only have Cleveland and Baltimore left on their schedule. Today's win all but secures a playoff spot for the Steelers, as they should have no problems taking care of those two teams and carrying all of their momentum into the playoffs. 

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