OUT OF MY WAY! Demaryius Thomas (left) stiff arms Ike Taylor en route to scoring the game-winning TD in the Broncos’ 29-23 overtime victory over the Steelers. (Getty Images)
DENVER — Now, do you believe?
Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow added another chapter to his legend, hitting Demaryius Thomas with an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime last night to give Denver a 29-23 victory over the Steelers in an AFC Wild Card game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
After a week of discussion about whether backup Brady Quinn should replace Tebow, Broncos vice president and resident legend John Elway saying Tebow needs to “pull the trigger” and nearly everyone giving the Broncos no chance of winning, Tebow delivered.
The polarizing quarterback played his best game in his biggest game as an NFL starter. He threw for a career-high 316 yards on 10-of-16 passing for two touchdowns and ran for another score. The total of 316 yards was a fitting total for the religious second-year player — Tebow 3:16.
Tebow performed well in his first playoff game after some early struggles, but the 80-yard pass to Thomas was the exclamation point. Tebow raced down the field after the throw, celebrated with the fans and, of course, Tebowed.
“First of all, thank you Lord,” Tebow said when asked what he was thinking as Thomas scored. “Then, I was running pretty fast chasing him. I’m not going to catch up to DT. Then, I just jumped in the stands, the first time I’ve done that. That was fun. Then, I just got on my knee and thanked the Lord again and tried to celebrate with my teammates and the fans.”
The Broncos, who were 8 1/2-point underdogs against the Steelers, move on to face the Patriots on Saturday in Foxborough, Mass. Three weeks ago, New England defeated the Broncos 41-23. After that game, Tebow and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady met at midfield and Brady told him, “We’ll see you again.”
“Maybe he’s a prophet,” Tebow joked.
If so, this matchup will be The Prophet vs. The Miracle Worker.
Denver controlled the game most of the way but the Steelers tied it in the final minutes, sending the game to overtime, the first under new postseason rules that ensure games can’t end on a first-possession field goal.
Tebow wasn’t thinking field goal. The Broncos won the coin toss and elected to receive. Taking the ball at the 20, Tebow hit Thomas at the Denver 38 as he raced past Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. Thomas, who finished with four catches for 204 receiving yards, stiff-armed Taylor and was gone. It was just the second time in the game the Broncos passed on first down.
“We had a number of people committed to the run,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “He made a nice catch. He was able to break free. The catch is less of an issue than his ability, of course, to break free and the run after.”
It was Tebow’s sixth game-winning drive this season, including the 95-yarder against the Jets in November.
“A lot is said,” Broncos coach John Fox said. “A lot was written. A lot of critique on him, and I thought he stepped up in a huge way tonight. I think he was a big part of us winning the game.”
The Broncos improved their overtime record this season to 4-0, and was the franchise’s second postseason overtime triumph. The other was “The Drive” in the 1986 playoffs against the Browns.
The Steelers tied the game with 3:48 left on a 31-yard touchdown from Ben Roethlisberger to former Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, a drive set up by a fumble by Broncos running back Willis McGahee at the Steelers 45, the Broncos’ first turnover of the day.
After a first-down sack, Roethlisberger marched the Steelers down the field with his arm and his legs. He nearly threw an interception in the end zone on the play before the touchdown but Champ Bailey could not pull it in. Then, Roethlisberger found Cotchery in the end zone to make it 23-23.
Tebow came under even greater scrutiny than usual this week after the Broncos stumbled into the playoffs on a three-game losing streak. He had four interceptions and one touchdown in those games, along with three fumbles. Yesterday, he had no turnovers.