STEELERS DOMINANT IN ROAD WIN OVER BRONCOS

The Denver Broncos opened the season with six straight wins.  They’ve since begun their first losing streak of the year, dropping their second straight game to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.  The Steelers spotted the Broncos a 3-0 first quarter lead and then took over the game en route to a 28-10 road victory.  Both teams are now 6-2 on the NFL season.

The Steelers also rewarded NFL pointspread players with a cover as -3 road favorites.  Pittsburgh has now covered two straight after only covering one of their first six games for a 3-5 ATS mark.  Denver has dropped two straight against the spread after winning and covering their first six for a 6-2 ATS record.  The 38 combined points went UNDER the posted total of 41.  The Broncos have only one OVER against seven UNDER verdicts on the season, while the Steelers evened their NFL totals mark at 4-4.

Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark missed the game as Steelers’ coach Mike Tomlin held him out as a precautionary measure.  Clark almost died from a rare blood disorder exacerbated by the high altitude two years ago, and Tomlin wasn’t about to take any chances with his safety.  His substitute, Tyrone Carter, had two interceptions including one returned for a touchdown.  Tomlin talked about his decision to sit Clark:

"Ryan likes to play. He's probably hacked off at me that I didn't play him. But he will get over it."

Clark was just happy he didn’t end up in the hospital like he did on his previous visit to ‘The Mile High City’:

"My goal for this trip was to go back with the team on the plane. Last time I came out, I didn't make it back with them."

He was also happy for his teammate, even throwing in a playful Lou Gehrig reference for good measure:

"I was excited for him. It was a big win. He did an awesome job. His first interception really put us in the game. I might be like Wally Pipp. I'd better get back fast."

For his part, Carter had some classy comments about Clark:

"I'll tell you, Ryan is like a brother to me. We've been in this thing together for a long time. The bond is so tight between all of us. But to know that he can't play today and knowing that he wanted to be out there, I just wanted to make sure that I went out there and played for him, and let him know I'm there for him, that we were still going to be all right."

The Broncos aren’t exactly in panic mode yet, having lost two games to top notch opponents including last week on the road at Baltimore.  Still, head coach Josh McDaniels wasn’t happy with how his team responded to the Steelers’ no huddle offense:

"We didn't stop anybody once they started going no-huddle."

Denver has a good chance to get back in the win column this week as they hit the road to play the struggling Washington Redskins.  The Broncos are a -3’ road favorite with the total set at 37.  They’ll host San Diego the following Sunday before a Thanksgiving Day home game against the New York Giants.  The Steelers face another tough test at home this week, welcoming the surprising Cincinnati Bengals.  Pittsburgh is a -7 home favorite with the total set at 41’.  They’ll then play on the road for two consecutive Sundays, with games at Kansas City and Baltimore.