Manning leads Broncos past gritty Steelers 23-16

Denver’s kicker added a fifth with 53 seconds remaining to put the Broncos up by 10 and basically put the game out of reach.

Get ready for Brady-Manning XVII.

The Broncos will host the Patriots next weekend after Peyton Manning rescued Denver with a late touchdown drive to secure a 23-16 victory over the Steelers.

The last time Tom Brady and the New England Patriots came to Denver, Peyton Manning watched the game on television from inside the locker room.

Manning wasn’t the only quarterback dealing with injuries. I think you knew that answer was coming. “To kind of quote Bill Belichick, we’ll be on to New England”.

Football fans certainly won’t wait that long.

WVLT and CBS will broadcast the AFC championship game.

The 17th chapter was slated for November before Manning went out with a foot injury that pushed longtime backup Brock Osweiler into the starting – and starring – role. A two-point conversion left Denver in the box seat and they duly closed out the win as Pittsburgh ran out of time.

It will be the 17th time that Manning and Brady will square off. Brady leads the series 11-5; they’re tied 2-2 in the playoffs.

Brady is still vintage Brady, passing, bootlegging and QB sneaking the Super Bowl champion Patriots past the Chiefs on Saturday and into the AFC title game for a fifth straight season. It was his third field goal of the day, following kicks of 28 and 41 yards.

Manning’s teammates dropped seven passes, but came through in crunch time.

It was a close first half, with neither team playing great but with no serious mistakes, either. This one, though, possibly means a little more, given his comeback from a foot ailment that sidelined him for six weeks. “It’s on all of us”.

That was Manning’s 55th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, extending one of the dozen National Football League records he owns.

Pittsburgh led 13-12 through a Fitzgerald Toussaint touchdown and two Chris Boswell field goals while Denver had been forced to settle for 4 Brandon McManus field goals.

“When you start like that, it’s going to be tough”, Seahawks wide receiver Kearse said. I give them credit for that.

“The best thing we did, we stayed patient all game”. A lot of teams would have quit and we didn’t. “We fight. We grind”. “But we just thought three was the right spot”.

Roethlisberger led an offense that had several big moments – their top eight plays netted 275 yards and their other 51 snaps resulted in just 118 yards.

The Broncos ran for 110 yards as a team. Should Brown sit out on Sunday, Roethlisberger will turn to wideouts Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton – as well as trusty tight end Heath Miller – to move the ball down the field.

“Our defence is guiding us, let’s make that clear”, Manning told reporters after completing 21-of-37 passes for 222 yards with no scores or interceptions.

Manning, two months shy of 40, has said this could very well be his final hurrah, and he’s 60 minutes from another chance to win his second Super Bowl ring.

Brady – who else? – stands in his way.