Pittsburgh Steelers vs Denver Broncos 2012 NFL Week 1 Point Spreads

ENGLEWOOD, CO – The much anticipated debut of Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will be filled with hype, speculation and a little bit of nervous energy.

While NFL schedule-makers certainly did the four-time league MVP a favor by allowing him to make his first start his in front of his home crowd, the opposition gives plenty of Broncos fans reason for concern. If there’s one thing that separates Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers from the other 31 teams in the league is defense.

No matter where they finish at the end of the season or how they play as a team, their defensive prowess and their ability to remain amongst the top of the league-rankings year in and year out is second to none. This, of course, means that Manning’s surgically repaired neck will be put to the test immediately.

“I don’t worry about it,” said Manning, who now has a pretty visible scar in the back of his neck. “It hasn’t even crossed my mind. I’ve never taken it for granted being able to play. Then, sitting out last year, I never felt sorry for myself because I had 20 years of unbelievable health going up to that point. … Last year I tried to handle it with a good attitude. But it’s nice to be back on the field with a different team, different teammates, it’s exciting to do that.”

Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that the visitors will have a bone to pick with the home team and its fans as we kickoff a new NFL season. As many may recall, Denver stunned Pittsburgh in last year’s AFC Wild Card game on the now infamous 80-yard, Tim Tebow-to-Demaryius Thomas game-winning touchdown play in overtime.

Do you doubt that Denver hasn’t been on the minds of the Steelers’ defenders this entire offseason? And even if they haven’t, you can bet memories of that loss will emerge as soon as they arrive at Sports Authority Field at Mile High this season. Believe me when I say that the Steelers would like nothing more than to go into Denver, punch Manning and the Broncos in the mouth and send a clear message to the rest of the league!

“The reason we didn’t do the job was because we didn’t perform. We didn’t perform from a coaching standpoint and from the players standpoint,” said coach Tomlin following last year’s 23-29 OT loss at Denver.

The Steelers and Broncos will meet in the first Sunday Night Football game of the season on September 9^th at 8:30 PM ET on NBC Sports. According to 2012 NFL Week 1 Point Spreads, Denver [-2] is currently favored by a safety over Pittsburgh [+2] in this game. The OVER/UNDER is set at a combined total of 45 points scored.

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