Pittsburgh @ Denver preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 20, 2015 ) Denver 27, Pittsburgh 34

Peyton Manning knows all too well that the playoffs present a one-and-done scenario. With nine defeats in his team's initial playoff game on his resume, the 39-year-old Manning isn't taking anything for granted heading into the AFC West-champion Denver Broncos' divisional-round clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

"Playoffs, anything goes," Manning told reporters on Wednesday. "Everything's on the table." The veteran missed Denver's 34-27 setback to Pittsburgh on Dec. 20 due to a left foot injury but entered the team's regular-season finale and engineered four scoring drives en route to a 27-20 victory over San Diego. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns while All-Pro Antonio Brown made 16 catches for 189 yards in the initial meeting with the Broncos, but both stars were injured during Pittsburgh's 18-16 wild-card win over AFC North-rival Cincinnati last week. Roethlisberger returned to the contest despite nursing a shoulder injury while Brown was drilled by Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict and is in the NFL's concussion protocol.

TV: 4:40 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Broncos -6.5. O/U: 40

ABOUT THE STEELERS (11-6): With a sprained AC joint and torn ligaments in his shoulder, Roethlisberger likely isn't going to throw the ball around with the same frequency (season-high 55 attempts) that he did in the first meeting with the Broncos. 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. Playing without veteran DeAngelo Williams (foot), the duo of Jordan Todman (65 yards) and Fitzgerald Toussaint (58 yards rushing, 60 yards receiving) provided a backfield presence in the wild-card game.

ABOUT THE BRONCOS (12-4): Former Steeler Emmanuel Sanders hopes Sunday's tilt will feature a repeat of his strong performance in the first meeting, when he reeled in a season-high 10 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown. "You get ready for everything, but teams aren’t going to change what they do that much in the playoffs," Sanders told reporters. "You get ready to adjust, but we do what we do, they do what they do and you execute." Fellow wideout Demaryius Thomas had two of his six touchdown receptions this season against Pittsburgh.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Denver S Darian Stewart told reporters he would be "cutting" Pittsburgh C Cody Wallace, who was fined last month for diving at S David Bruton after the whistle.

2. Bryant, who had a touchdown catch last week, recorded a season-high 10 receptions in the previous meeting with the Broncos.

3. Denver led the league in fewest passing yards allowed (199.6) while the Steelers ranked 30th (271.9).

PREDICTION: Broncos 20, Steelers 17