- [Michael] It's January 8th, 2012.
The Broncos and Steelers are facing off
in the Wild Card round of the playoffs
at Sports Authority field in Denver.
The Broncos offense is lining up
for the first play of overtime.
But Denver's journey to this point wasn't easy,
so we would be remiss if we didn't take
a few minutes to rewind.
(dramatic music)
People are torn on this man, quarterback Tim Tebow.
He has been fighting an uphill battle
against his doubters since he entered the league,
despite his very accomplished time with the Florida Gators.
The Gators won the national championship in 2006,
Tebow's freshman year, although Tebow at the time
was used primarily as a rusher.
He took over the starting quarterback job in 2007,
and became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy,
throwing for over 3,000 yards, 32 touchdowns,
and only six interceptions.
In 2008, the Gators won another national championship,
this time with Tebow at the helm,
and heading into the off-season,
most people expected Tebow to declare for the NFL Draft.
He instead elected to return for his senior season.
Tebow led the 13 and one Gators to a win at the Sugar Bowl
and broke Herschel Walker's SCC rushing touchdown record
in the process.
He was the kind of talent that's difficult to pass on
come draft time, but not everyone was sold on his ability
to translate his skills to the NFL level.
The Broncos, however, believed in him enough
to select him in the first round of the 2010 draft.
Though it would be hard to imagine that
even they expected to be here,
in only his second season, tied,
with a chance to move on the Divisional round.
The previous season was disappointing from all angles.
They went four and 12 with rookie Tebow
backing up the starting quarterback, Kyle Orton,
and the season ended mired in controversy.
It was discovered that Broncos video coordinator
Steve Scarnecchia recorded a 49ers practice.
Scarnecchia, who worked for the Patriots during Spygate,
then brought the footage to head coach Josh McDaniels,
who refused to view it.
But following an investigation,
both Scarnecchia and McDaniels were fired,
McDaniels both for failing to report the incident
and for overall poor performance.
In the off-season, the Broncos hired
their former Super Bowl-winning quarterback, John Elway,
as the executive VP of football operations,
who then in turn hired this guy, head coach John Fox.
In Fox's first season as head coach,
the Broncos won the division.
He was just the second Broncos coach to do so
in his first season, and the first since 1977.
But that title didn't come easy.
Denver lost their last three games of the 2011 season,
and finished with an eight and eight record,
as did the Chargers and the Raiders.
Denver ended up taking the division
based on their record against common opponents,
so the Broncos snuck into the playoffs,
and then they find themselves here,
in overtime, a familiar spot.
During the regular season,
the Broncos had three games decided in overtime,
and they won each one,
all with Tebow starting at quarterback,
having replaced Kyle Orton at halftime in week five.
Tebow's first start was on the road
against the Dolphins in week seven.
They entered the game with a one and four record,
and it appeared to be another lost season.
But with just under six minutes remaining in the fourth,
down 15-nothing, Denver got a little bit of hope
after a touchdown, an onside kick recovery,
and another quick touchdown.
Tebow rushed for a two-point conversion
to tie the game with 17 seconds remaining.
A Matt Prater field goal in overtime
sealed the win for Denver.
- [Announcer] He got it!
- [Michael] In week 12, the Broncos were facing
the division rival Chargers,
and a Matt Prater field goal
with under two minutes to play
tied the game to send it to overtime.
With 33 seconds remaining in OT,
Prater did it again to end the game.
It was a divisional win that proved to be vital
to Denver's playoff hopes,
but they weren't done with the late-game heroics just yet.
In week 14, the Broncos faced a 10-nothing deficit
with under three minutes to go,
and again, Tebow threw a late-game touchdown,
and Prater kicked a game-tying field goal
with only seconds remaining.
One last overtime field goal from Prater
saw the Broncos take their third overtime win of the season.
So, we find ourselves in overtime again,
but how did we get here?
Another late-game surge by the Broncos' offense?
Actually, this time, the late-game heroics
came from Pittsburgh.
The 12 and four Steelers,
11 months removed from losing Super Bowl 45,
entered this game with their sights set
on another Super Bowl appearance,
but injuries on both sides of the ball
have made them vulnerable,
including Rashard Mendenhall, the team leader in touchdowns,
who tore his ACL in week 17,
Ben Roethlisberger, who was playing through an ankle injury,
and a slew of absent defensive players,
one of whom is safety Ryan Clark,
whose sickle cell trait poses health risks
in Denver's high altitude.
At the start of the second quarter,
the Broncos had an injury of their own to deal with.
Eric Decker, the team's leading receiver,
went down with an MCL injury following a low hit.
This spelled disaster for the Broncos,
who needed every bit
of offensive firepower at their disposal.
It also moved Demaryius Thomas,
who has had injury issues himself,
into the number-one receiver role.
In February of 2011, Thomas tore his Achilles tendon.
There were worries that he would miss the entire year,
but prior to the start of the season,
to everyone's surprise, he was ready to go,
and then in his first practice back,
Thomas broke his pinky finger
and was sidelined for the first five games of the season.
But here he is, ready to pick up the slack
for the injured Decker,
and in the first play following Decker's injury,
Thomas torched Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor
for a 51-yard gain.
That reception set up this beautiful
30-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Royal.
- [Announcer] Caught by Eddie Royal!
Is he in, yes!
Touchdown, Broncos!
- [Michael] And on the following Broncos drive,
Thomas, again covered by Taylor,
hauled in a season-long 58-yard reception.
Thomas had 109 yards on two catches
in one quarter against a Steelers defense
that hadn't allowed a 100-yard receiver all season.
The Steelers had a chance to put some points
on the board before halftime,
but a bad snap by center Doug Legursky,
who's playing in place of
injured Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey,
forced the Steelers to punt.
The Broncos entered the half up 20 to six
after putting up all 20 of their points
in the second quarter.
The second half, however, was all Steelers.
An integral part of their success
was running back Isaac Redman,
who after only starting one game during the regular season,
took the place of the injured Mendenhall.
Redman had a 32-yard run in the third
that set up this one-yard touchdown to Mike Wallace.
Then in the fourth, Redman again came up with a long run
that eventually led to a field goal.
The Steelers were now only down a touchdown
with 10 minutes to play.
The following drive, the Broncos handed it off
to running back Willis McGahee.
McGahee took over the starting job
when last season's starter, Knowshon Moreno,
went down with an injury.
He took advantage of the opportunity
and rushed for over 1,000 yards
and was named team captain after the release of Kyle Orton.
His number was called yet again with a fourth-quarter lead,
but this time, he lost the football.
The fumble was forced by
Ryan Clark's replacement, Ryan Mundy.
The fumble led to a 31-yard touchdown pass
to Jerricho Cotchery to tie the game
with just under four minutes remaining.
The Steelers got the ball back
with a minute and a half left,
but this time the Broncos defense stepped up.
Three of the Broncos' five sacks
came on the final drive,
including this one to force a fumble
that Pittsburgh recovered,
and this one on the final play of regulation
to send it to overtime.
- [Announcer] And we're going to overtime!
- [Michael] The Steelers called tails on the coin toss,
and heads gave Denver the ball to start overtime,
but this is the first playoff game
to head to overtime since a recent rule change.
Prior to the 2010 season,
the Broncos would be able to end the game with a field goal,
but the Steelers, who have not given up
a touchdown since the second quarter,
will have a chance as long as they can keep the Broncos
out of the end zone on this drive.
So, here we are,
a team that barely squeaked into the playoffs,
with a quarterback many didn't believe to be NFL caliber,
has a chance to knock out a wounded juggernaut
one year removed from a Super Bowl appearance.
Demaryius Thomas is lined up against Ike Taylor once again,
and with the safety showing blitz,
Taylor will have no help behind him.
Welcome to a moment in history.
- [Announcer] The Broncos have been in
three overtime games this year.
They won them all.
Got him at the 40!
It's Thomas at the 50!
Stiff arm got him free to the 30!
To the 20!
Thomas to the 10!
Denver's going on to New England!
They win it on the first play of overtime!