Broncos Host Steelers on National Stage

Note: Below is a portion of the team's weekly press release. To view the complete release, click here.

THIS WEEK’S GAME
Coming off a 25-20 loss to Detroit last week in their preseason home opener, the Denver Broncos (0-2) will host the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) on Sunday at INVESCO Field at Mile High. Kickoff is set for 6:07 p.m. MDT, and the game will be broadcast nationally on FOX as well as locally on KOA Radio (850 AM).

QUICK HITS

The Denver Broncos enter their sixth decade of professional football with a 411-367-10 (.528) combined record—the eighth-most wins among AFL/NFL franchises since 1960.
Denver finished with a 93-67 (.581) regular-season record during the 2000s to mark its third consecutive decade with 90 or more victories—the only team in the NFL to accomplish that feat during the last three decades.
Head Coach Josh McDaniels begins his second season leading the club after totaling the third-most wins (8) by a rookie head coach in Broncos annals.
McDaniels and General Manager Brian Xanders made several key acquisitions during the offseason, including the signing of three-time Pro Bowler DL Jamal Williams, hometown product DL Justin Bannan (University of Colorado), former New England Patriot DL Jarvis Green and secondary specialist CB Nate Jones.
The Broncos made nine selections in the 2010 NFL Draft, including five in the first three rounds (T-1st in NFL), and for the second consecutive year the club drafted two players in the first round (WR Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech, 22nd overall; QB Tim Tebow, Florida, 25th overall).

OFFENSE:
QB , who ranks third among starting quarterbacks in the NFL with a 116.5 passer rating this preseason, is tied for the league lead in touchdown passes (4) and is the only player to throw multiple touchdowns in each of his preseason appearances this year.

DEFENSE:
The Broncos are led in tackles this preseason by LB and LB , who have recorded nine apiece for a Denver defense that has seen its first-stringers allow just one opponent touchdown through two games.

SPECIAL TEAMS:
P is sixth in the NFL this preseason with a 49.0 punting average with five of his nine punts grossing 50 or more yards.

BROADCAST INFORMATION:
TELEVISION: FOX: Joe Buck (play-by-play) and Troy Aikman (color commentary) will call the game with Pam Oliver reporting from the sidelines.
LOCAL RADIO: KOA Radio (850 AM): Dave Logan (play-by-play) and Brian Griese (color commentary) will call the game with Andy Lindahl reporting from the sidelines.

BRONCOS vs. STEELERS — POINTS OF INTEREST
The Broncos will play the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time in the preseason... The two teams have played 21 times in the regular season with the Broncos owning a 13-7-1 advantage, and the teams have split their six alltime postseason matchups... The Broncos and Steelers last played in 2009 when Pittsburgh earned a 28-10 win at INVESCO Field at Mile High on Monday Night Football... Following a 25-20 home loss to Detroit last week, the Broncos are 122-109 (.528) all-time in preseason play... Denver has finished with a .500 or better record in 13 of its last 15 seasons, compiling a 42-22 (.656) record over that span... Head Coach Josh McDaniels guided Denver to a 6-0 record to begin the 2009 season, a start that tied for the third best by a rookie NFL head coach since 1930... As they begin their sixth decade of professional football in 2010, the Broncos are one of just four teams to record three 90 win decades since 1960 and the only organization to do so in each of the last three decades... During the Pat Bowlen era (1984-Pres.), the Broncos have won more regular-season games (251) and overall games
(266) than any AFC team (second most in NFL)... Denver had five players selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl with that total tying for its most since 2001 (T- 7th overall in club annals)... Denver’s offseason acquisitions include freeagent defensive linemen Justin Bannan, Jarvis Green and Jamal Williams as well as QB (acquired from Cleveland via trade)... Returning starter QB Kyle Orton tied John Elway (1997) for the most games with a 90 passer rating (10) in a season in franchise history in 2009, with that total tying for fifth in the league... Orton’s 3,802 passing yards tied for sixth in club annals and rank 12th in NFL history among players with a new team... Orton ranks third among starting quarterbacks in the NFL with a 116.5 passer rating this preseason and is tied for the league lead in touchdown passes (4) as the only player to throw multiple touchdowns in each of his preseason appearances this year... WR recorded the second-most receiving yards (213) in a single game in franchise history (most by a WR) in the season finale vs. Kansas City and finished the year with a career-high 732 receiving yards... Gaffney currently ranks third in the NFL with 135 receiving yards through two preseason games. RB became the 14th player in the NFL since 1970 to lead league rookies in rushing yards (947), yards from scrimmage (1,160) and total touchdowns (9)... Moreno, who led league rookies with six 80-yard rushing games, is the fifth Bronco to lead NFL rookies in rushing... RB ranked sixth in the NFL in yards per rush (5.4) and set career highs in rushing yards (642) and receptions (31)... OL , named to the Pro Bowl (starter) for the first time, became the 11th tackle in league annals to earn a Pro Bowl selection by his second professional season... Clady was named to the inaugural USA Football/NFLPA “All-Fundamentals” Team as the youngest member (23) to receive the honor... LB earned his first career Pro Bowl selection (starter), becoming the first player in Broncos history to lead the league in sacks with a franchise-record 17... Eleven of Dumervil’s 17 sacks came on third down, tying for the most in a single season in the NFL since at least 1991... LB , a Pro Bowl alternate, led Denver with 122 tackles (100 solo) that ranked 11th in the NFL... Since 2007, Williams is sixth in the league in tackles per game (8.3)... Six Broncos posted at least 50 defensive tackles... CB was named to his ninth Pro Bowl to tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Haynes for the most Pro Bowls at cornerback in NFL history... Bailey has totaled the most interceptions (46) in the NFL among cornerbacks since entering the league in 1999 and has the seventh-most interceptions (28) by a Bronco in team annals... S was named a Pro Bowl starter in his first season with Denver and tied former Broncos S Steve Atwater for the third-most Pro Bowl selections (8) by a safety in NFL history... Royal is one of two players in the NFL (Chargers RB Darren Sproles) to total at least 1,400 yards from scrimmage (1,435) and 1,400 kick return yards (1,696) since 2008... K ended the 2009 season with a field goal in nine consecutive games to set a career high and made 19 of his final 20 attempts... P Britton Colquitt ranks sixth in the NFL with a 49.0 punting average this preseason as five of his nine punts have grossed 50 or more yards... S led the club with 11 special-teams tackles in 2009 as one of just four rookies to lead their team in that category.

GAFFNEY LOOKS TO BUILD OFF IMPRESSIVE ‘09 FINISH

Broncos wide receiver Jabar Gaffney, who finished second on the team in receptions (54) and receiving yards (732) in 2009, capped the season with a 14-catch, 214-yard performance in Denver’s finale vs. Kansas City (1/3/10).

His 213 yards represented the most receiving yards by a wide receiver in franchise history and fell just one yard shy of Denver’s all-time single-game record held by former tight end Shannon Sharpe.

GOODMAN MAKES IMPACT

André Goodman led Denver with five interceptions in 2009, and his 10 interceptions since 2008 tie for fourth in the NFL among cornerbacks.

HOME SELLOUT STREAK

The Broncos have sold out every home game since the beginning of the 1970 season with the exception of two replacement games played during the 1987 strike (both games were sold out before the strike). Denver has thus sold out 309 consecutive regular-season games, which marks the second-longest home sellout streak in the NFL. With postseason games factored in, the total reaches 324.