A place you never want to be in the playoffs.. (1 Viewer)

[moleculo]

OK, so its Investco Field @ Mile High Stadium. Same loud fans, same thin rocky mountain air, same horse on the score board. Some strange stuff has happened in Denver in the playoffs, the latest being the Bailey interception and the Brown muffed punt. One common theme when looking back at home playoff games, we see that turnovers have made a HUGE difference in more than a couple of games. I submit that the spirit of the old Mile high magic is alive and well, as evidenced by Champs pick and the 5 NE turnovers. Denver is now 12-2 at home in the playoffs all time, outscoring their opponents by an average of 29.2-18.8. Can we expect this trend to continue on Sunday? 1977 vs Steelers: Denver capitalized on a blocked punt and a fumble recovery for two scores in the first half.1977 vs Oakland: Linebacker Bob Swenson intercepted a Stabler pass and ran to the Raiders’ 14. Morton then threw 12 yards to Moses for the Broncos’ final touchdown. 1987 vs Houston: A lateral pass from Warren Moon to Mike Rozier was fumbled, and Steve Wilson recovered for Denver on the 1. Gene Lang scored two plays later to give the Broncos an early 7-0 lead. Houston's next drive reached the Bronco 20-yard line before Mecklenburg intercepted a pass and returned it to the Denver 28. Elway hit Kay for 29 yards on the next play to move into Houston territory, and five plays later the same connection was made for a 27-yard touchdown pass, giving the Broncos a 14-0 lead.1987 vs Cleveland: Kosar and the Browns advanced to the Denver 8-yard line with 1:12 remaining, when Byner ran to the 3, but had the ball stripped by Castille, who recovered for the Broncos. Denver was forced into a fourth down situation with 13 seconds left, and punter Mike Horan carried the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety, making the score 38-33 in Denver's favor.1989 vs Pittsburgh: Early in the third quarter, Denver NT Greg Kragen forced a Tim Worley fumble and CB Tyrone Braxton recovered for the Broncos on the Steeler 37. On first down Elway hit wide receiver Vance Johnson for a touchdown, tying the score at 171998 vs Miami: The icing on the cake was provided when Neil Smith picked up a fumble forced by Darrius Johnson at the Broncos’ 21-yd. line and ran it back 79 yards for his first career postseason touchdown.1998 vs New Your Jets: The Broncos defense — which deserved credit for keeping the Broncos in the game in the first half while the offense sputtered — forced six turnovers (including two interceptions by Darrien Gordon) on the day and held the Jets to 14 yards rushing on 13 carries. The four opponent fumbles recovered by Denver set a franchise postseason record.2005 vs New England: In another huge play, the Patriots line up for third-and-goal at the Broncos 5. Brady takes the snap in the shotgun rolls to his right and throws. The pass is intercepted by Bailey 2 yards deep in the end zone and he returns it all the way to the Patriots 1 where he fumbles out of bounds.

 

[DoctorDetroit]

OK, so its Investco Field @ Mile High Stadium. Same loud fans, same thin rocky mountain air, same horse on the score board. Some strange stuff has happened in Denver in the playoffs, the latest being the Bailey interception and the Brown muffed punt. One common theme when looking back at home playoff games, we see that turnovers have made a HUGE difference in more than a couple of games. I submit that the spirit of the old Mile high magic is alive and well, as evidenced by Champs pick and the 5 NE turnovers. Denver is now 12-2 at home in the playoffs all time, outscoring their opponents by an average of 29.2-18.8. Can we expect this trend to continue on Sunday?

1977 vs Steelers: Denver capitalized on a blocked punt and a fumble recovery for two scores in the first half.

1977 vs Oakland: Linebacker Bob Swenson intercepted a Stabler pass and ran to the Raiders’ 14. Morton then threw 12 yards to Moses for the Broncos’ final touchdown.

1987 vs Houston: A lateral pass from Warren Moon to Mike Rozier was fumbled, and Steve Wilson recovered for Denver on the 1. Gene Lang scored two plays later to give the Broncos an early 7-0 lead. Houston's next drive reached the Bronco 20-yard line before Mecklenburg intercepted a pass and returned it to the Denver 28. Elway hit Kay for 29 yards on the next play to move into Houston territory, and five plays later the same connection was made for a 27-yard touchdown pass, giving the Broncos a 14-0 lead.

1987 vs Cleveland: Kosar and the Browns advanced to the Denver 8-yard line with 1:12 remaining, when Byner ran to the 3, but had the ball stripped by Castille, who recovered for the Broncos. Denver was forced into a fourth down situation with 13 seconds left, and punter Mike Horan carried the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety, making the score 38-33 in Denver's favor.

1989 vs Pittsburgh: Early in the third quarter, Denver NT Greg Kragen forced a Tim Worley fumble and CB Tyrone Braxton recovered for the Broncos on the Steeler 37. On first down Elway hit wide receiver Vance Johnson for a touchdown, tying the score at 17

1998 vs Miami: The icing on the cake was provided when Neil Smith picked up a fumble forced by Darrius Johnson at the Broncos’ 21-yd. line and ran it back 79 yards for his first career postseason touchdown.

1998 vs New Your Jets: The Broncos defense — which deserved credit for keeping the Broncos in the game in the first half while the offense sputtered — forced six turnovers (including two interceptions by Darrien Gordon) on the day and held the Jets to 14 yards rushing on 13 carries. The four opponent fumbles recovered by Denver set a franchise postseason record.

2005 vs New England: In another huge play, the Patriots line up for third-and-goal at the Broncos 5. Brady takes the snap in the shotgun rolls to his right and throws. The pass is intercepted by Bailey 2 yards deep in the end zone and he returns it all the way to the Patriots 1 where he fumbles out of bounds.

Who were the two loses to? I believe NE was one in 85 but I can't even begin to imagine the other. Oakland in the 70s?

 

[Buckychudd]

Who were the two loses to?  I believe NE was one in 85 but I can't even begin to imagine the other.  Oakland in the 70s?

Jacksonville.

Edit - 1996

 

[moleculo]

Who were the two loses to?  I believe NE was one in 85 but I can't even begin to imagine the other.  Oakland in the 70s?

Jacksonville.

Edit - 1996

Jax in 1996 in the game known as Black Saturday. The game was so bad that the Broncos changed their uniforms immediately afterwards. Last game w/ orange unis (not counting thanksgiving game vs Dallas couple years ago).The other game was Pittsburgh in 1984.

 

[Buckychudd]

Jax in 1996 in the game known as Black Saturday. The game was so bad that the Broncos changed their uniforms immediately afterwards. Last game w/ orange unis (not counting thanksgiving game vs Dallas couple years ago).

I was screaming at the TV regarding Brunell, "Just tackle the ####er!"

Bad memories, bad memories.

 

[Steelers4Life]

Definitely not going to be easy to win in Mile High, but the Steelers are 8-2 on the road this year and have the type of team capable of doing it.They seem to focus more on the road, especially early in the games. At home, it seemed that they always needed to get smacked early in the game before they settled in, but that was never a problem on the road.

 

[saichamp]

Invesco is definitely a tough place to play. It will be a rockin' Sunday! I'll be there with my 11 yr old son at the game and can't wait. Being from Philly, it will be much better than watching the eagles Should be fun game to watch

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

Mark Malone led the Steelers to victory in Denver in 1984 only to get smoked by Marino's Dolphins in the AFC Championship. Tony Dungy was the Steelers DB coach then.

 

[BlueOnion]

Mark Malone led the Steelers to victory in Denver in 1984 only to get smoked by Marino's Dolphins in the AFC Championship. Tony Dungy was the Steelers DB coach then.

Choker.

 

[Broncoholic]

Invesco is definitely a tough place to play. It will be a rockin' Sunday! I'll be there with my 11 yr old son at the game and can't wait. Being from Philly, it will be much better than watching the eagles Should be fun game to watch

I'll be there too...In my opinion the Superbowl Champ will be decided this Sunday at Mile High!I'll see your popcorn and raise you a

 

[saichamp]

Make it a few and you got a deal! GO BRONCOS

 

[DoctorDetroit]

Invesco is definitely a tough place to play. It will be a rockin' Sunday! I'll be there with my 11 yr old son at the game and can't wait. Being from Philly, it will be much better than watching the eagles    Should be fun game to watch 

I'll be there too...In my opinion the Superbowl Champ will be decided this Sunday at Mile High!I'll see your popcorn and raise you a

Why do they call it the AFC Championship game and not the Super Bowl then?

 

[Sheriff66]

Isn't this the first playoff game at Invesco ?

 

[Buckychudd]

Isn't this the first playoff game at Invesco ?

OK, so its Investco Field @ Mile High Stadium. Same loud fans, same thin rocky mountain air, same horse on the score board.

 

[Courtjester]

Jax in 1996 in the game known as Black Saturday.  The game was so bad that the Broncos changed their uniforms immediately afterwards.  Last game w/ orange unis (not counting thanksgiving game vs Dallas couple years ago).

I was screaming at the TV regarding Brunell, "Just tackle the ####er!"

Bad memories, bad memories.

I have that game on tape and it was painful. I remember when Jax scored that last diving catch for a TD, it was like someone ripped my heart out. :(

 

[Sheriff66]

Isn't this the first playoff game at Invesco ? 

OK, so its Investco Field @ Mile High Stadium.  Same loud fans, same thin rocky mountain air, same horse on the score board. 

Different stadium, how do we know all the mojo moved over there for the playoffs ????? New stadium might be a goocher for all you know....

 

[DenverBuc]

Jax in 1996 in the game known as Black Saturday.  The game was so bad that the Broncos changed their uniforms immediately afterwards.  Last game w/ orange unis (not counting thanksgiving game vs Dallas couple years ago).

I was screaming at the TV regarding Brunell, "Just tackle the ####er!"

Bad memories, bad memories.

The biggest play in that game that I remember was (not sure on the DL's name) Perry? did not hustle to get off the field on that Jacksonville punt. So, instead of field position with good time left on the clock for a last chance, Jax gets a first down almost totally eliminating our chance to come back. Still burns me up.

 

[Buckychudd]

Isn't this the first playoff game at Invesco ? 

OK, so its Investco Field @ Mile High Stadium.  Same loud fans, same thin rocky mountain air, same horse on the score board. 

Different stadium, how do we know all the mojo moved over there for the playoffs ????? New stadium might be a goocher for all you know....

 

[DoctorDetroit]

Jax in 1996 in the game known as Black Saturday.  The game was so bad that the Broncos changed their uniforms immediately afterwards.  Last game w/ orange unis (not counting thanksgiving game vs Dallas couple years ago).

I was screaming at the TV regarding Brunell, "Just tackle the ####er!"

Bad memories, bad memories.

I have that game on tape and it was painful. I remember when Jax scored that last diving catch for a TD, it was like someone ripped my heart out. :(

Cleveland fans probably rejoiced for the first time since Jim Brown was playing. It's funny you said "ripped my heart out" because that is what Denver did to many teams with Elway. But when they did it to Cleveland, it was mildly entertaining.

 

[moleculo]

Isn't this the first playoff game at Invesco ?

OK, so its Investco Field @ Mile High Stadium. Same loud fans, same thin rocky mountain air, same horse on the score board.

Different stadium, how do we know all the mojo moved over there for the playoffs ????? New stadium might be a goocher for all you know....

I cite 5 turnovers by the patriots, including a 100 yd game saving return by Bailey. I say that's a good start.

 

[Sheriff66]

Isn't this the first playoff game at Invesco ? 

OK, so its Investco Field @ Mile High Stadium.  Same loud fans, same thin rocky mountain air, same horse on the score board. 

Different stadium, how do we know all the mojo moved over there for the playoffs ????? New stadium might be a goocher for all you know....

I cite 5 turnovers by the patriots, including a 100 yd game saving return by Bailey. I say that's a good start.

True....but no AFC championship games have been played there....:fingerscrossed:

 

[redman]

Wasn't this what they were saying about Lambeau a few years ago?

 

[moleculo]

Wasn't this what they were saying about Lambeau a few years ago?

I'm not trying to say that the Broncos are unbeatable there, as that has been proven false several times. But, it would be a sorry mistake to underestimate the HFA in Mile High.

 

[moleculo]

Jax in 1996 in the game known as Black Saturday. The game was so bad that the Broncos changed their uniforms immediately afterwards. Last game w/ orange unis (not counting thanksgiving game vs Dallas couple years ago).

I was screaming at the TV regarding Brunell, "Just tackle the ####er!"

Bad memories, bad memories.

The biggest play in that game that I remember was (not sure on the DL's name) Perry? did not hustle to get off the field on that Jacksonville punt. So, instead of field position with good time left on the clock for a last chance, Jax gets a first down almost totally eliminating our chance to come back. Still burns me up.

It was Michael Dean Perry, the Fridges "little" brother.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Jax in 1996 in the game known as Black Saturday. The game was so bad that the Broncos changed their uniforms immediately afterwards. Last game w/ orange unis (not counting thanksgiving game vs Dallas couple years ago).

I was screaming at the TV regarding Brunell, "Just tackle the ####er!"

Bad memories, bad memories.

You and me both. I swear, it seemed like every time Jacksonville had a 3rd and long, Brunell would scramble for a first down. Few games have ever bummed me out as much as that one did. Fortunately, redemption was a year later.

 

[Tony Jabroni]

Isn't this the first playoff game at Invesco ? 

OK, so its Investco Field @ Mile High Stadium.  Same loud fans, same thin rocky mountain air, same horse on the score board. 

Different stadium, how do we know all the mojo moved over there for the playoffs ????? New stadium might be a goocher for all you know....

 

[SaosiN]

i won't use the weather/air as the excuse if we lose the game.. i heard that its only 5,000 ft above sea level or somethin and that doesn't affect the body on KDKA Radio..it would ahve to be like 10,000 ft to have a real bad affect on them..so i don't expect that to hurt the Steelers at all...they should get used to it i hope? :/

 

[SSOG]

Wasn't this what they were saying about Lambeau a few years ago?

So are you saying that if your team got scheduled to play a road playoff game 10 years from now (so you don't know how good the opposing team is going to be), and you drew up a list of places you'd MOST LIKE to see your team play, Lambeau still wouldn't be near the very bottom, along with Mile High?

i won't use the weather/air as the excuse if we lose the game.. i heard that its only 5,000 ft above sea level or somethin and that doesn't affect the body on KDKA Radio..it would ahve to be like 10,000 ft to have a real bad affect on them..so i don't expect that to hurt the Steelers at all...they should get used to it i hope? :/

It affects you. Trust me, it affects you. True, it doesn't have as big of an impact as playing further up in the Rockies, but even 5,280 feet is a big difference. I jog a lot, and I frequently go home and visit family in Colorado (I currently live in Florida), and every time I go for a jog I laugh at myself because I remember how easy it used to be when I was acclimated. You just get gassed so quickly up at altitude.

 

[ffldrew]

i won't use the weather/air as the excuse if we lose the game.. i heard that its only 5,000 ft above sea level or somethin and that doesn't affect the body on KDKA Radio..it would ahve to be like 10,000 ft to have a real bad affect on them..so i don't expect that to hurt the Steelers at all...they should get used to it i hope? :/

It affects you - I remember my first soccer practice at altitude, it is like someone throws a lit pack of matches down into your lungs. Takes about a two weeks to really get used to it. Heck going from Denver to 10,000 still takes some getting used to.

 

[moleculo]

Wasn't this what they were saying about Lambeau a few years ago? 

So are you saying that if your team got scheduled to play a road playoff game 10 years from now (so you don't know how good the opposing team is going to be), and you drew up a list of places you'd MOST LIKE to see your team play, Lambeau still wouldn't be near the very bottom, along with Mile High?

i won't use the weather/air as the excuse if we lose the game.. i heard that its only 5,000 ft above sea level or somethin and that doesn't affect the body on KDKA Radio..it would ahve to be like 10,000 ft to have a real bad affect on them..so i don't expect that to hurt the Steelers at all...they should get used to it i hope? :/

It affects you. Trust me, it affects you. True, it doesn't have as big of an impact as playing further up in the Rockies, but even 5,280 feet is a big difference. I jog a lot, and I frequently go home and visit family in Colorado (I currently live in Florida), and every time I go for a jog I laugh at myself because I remember how easy it used to be when I was acclimated. You just get gassed so quickly up at altitude.

Agreed. I was on a collegate wrestling team in NY and when I went back home over the hollidays, I was amazed at how out of shape I felt when I worked out with my HS team. I know I couldn't have actually been out of shape, but I was definately out of breath much easier.also - don't discount the psychological aspects of the altitude. if you are thinking aobut it, it can become a self-fulfilling preophecy, and then an excuse.

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

Wasn't this what they were saying about Lambeau a few years ago? 

So are you saying that if your team got scheduled to play a road playoff game 10 years from now (so you don't know how good the opposing team is going to be), and you drew up a list of places you'd MOST LIKE to see your team play, Lambeau still wouldn't be near the very bottom, along with Mile High?

i won't use the weather/air as the excuse if we lose the game.. i heard that its only 5,000 ft above sea level or somethin and that doesn't affect the body on KDKA Radio..it would ahve to be like 10,000 ft to have a real bad affect on them..so i don't expect that to hurt the Steelers at all...they should get used to it i hope? :/

It affects you. Trust me, it affects you. True, it doesn't have as big of an impact as playing further up in the Rockies, but even 5,280 feet is a big difference. I jog a lot, and I frequently go home and visit family in Colorado (I currently live in Florida), and every time I go for a jog I laugh at myself because I remember how easy it used to be when I was acclimated. You just get gassed so quickly up at altitude.

Let's be clear here, these guys are pro athletes that (for the most part) train 3-4 hours a day every day. Will there be adjustments to playing in Denver, certainly. But it's not like your average FBG messageboarder taking a jog in Denver.

 

[Nepatsdynasty]

Don't for one minute give away the reality that the real icemen Have BOUGHT AND SOLD cold weather reality and that home field advantage is just that!!! I can only bow to the fact that denver of all of the "West of wherever" teams ACTUALLY has a respectable record and that is exactly WHY I had my pre-game fears. My boys CHOSE to give it away to a NON -J.E. team. and that remains to be seen!!! If you guys actually pull it off I will choose you against the NFC any day of the week in this NFC is a joke sort of Decade!!! Meanwhile good lick riding the BUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bad_Mo]

Is the fat naked guy in the orange barrel still around?If so, how can that NOT be the #1 reason why you don't want to play at Invesco.

 

[Nepatsdynasty]

Can I be the first to say that... J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.v

 

[Buckychudd]

Don't for one minute give away the reality that the real icemen Have BOUGHT AND SOLD cold weather reality and that home field advantage is just that!!! I can only bow to the fact that denver of all of the "West of wherever" teams ACTUALLY has a respectable record and that is exactly WHY I had my pre-game fears. My boys CHOSE to give it away to a NON -J.E. team. and that remains to be seen!!! If you guys actually pull it off I will choose you against the NFC any day of the week in this NFC is a joke sort of Decade!!! Meanwhile good lick riding the BUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can I be the first to say that...

J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.v

 

[redman]

Jax in 1996 in the game known as Black Saturday.  The game was so bad that the Broncos changed their uniforms immediately afterwards.  Last game w/ orange unis (not counting thanksgiving game vs Dallas couple years ago).

I was screaming at the TV regarding Brunell, "Just tackle the ####er!"

Bad memories, bad memories.

You and me both. I swear, it seemed like every time Jacksonville had a 3rd and long, Brunell would scramble for a first down. Few games have ever bummed me out as much as that one did. Fortunately, redemption was a year later.

Lemme count how many Cleveland fans are sympathetic about your plight during that game . . . hold on . . . zero.

 

[redman]

Wasn't this what they were saying about Lambeau a few years ago? 

So are you saying that if your team got scheduled to play a road playoff game 10 years from now (so you don't know how good the opposing team is going to be), and you drew up a list of places you'd MOST LIKE to see your team play, Lambeau still wouldn't be near the very bottom, along with Mile High?

No. I'd just think a confident Broncos fan could point to more things than altitude as to why their team will win.

 

[moleculo]

Don't for one minute give away the reality that the real icemen Have BOUGHT AND SOLD cold weather reality and that home field advantage is just that!!!  I can only bow to the fact that denver of all of the "West of wherever" teams ACTUALLY has a respectable record and that is exactly WHY I had my pre-game fears.  My boys CHOSE to give it away to a NON -J.E. team.  and that remains to be seen!!! If you guys actually pull it off I will choose you against the NFC any day of the week in this NFC is a joke sort of Decade!!!  Meanwhile good lick riding the BUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can I be the first to say that...

J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.J.P. is not J.E.v

Let me translate from :IJoinedToday: to :ICanCommunicateCoherently: - I think I understand what NEpatsdynsasty is saying. This above post has two underlying meanings - J.P refers to Jake Plummer. JE refers to John Elway. So, NEpatsdynasty is saying Jake Plummer is not John Elway. The second point of this post is that NEpatsdynasty is unable to make a a coherent discussion on a given topic. I think that about covers it.

 

[Nepatsdynasty]

Or...perfectly capable of making a coherent point on a long overdone subject that has no point and no meaning in a world outside of (d)enver!

 

[msommer]

For all the people saying that Shanahan has not won a playoff game without Elway I suppose we now have to say that Shanahan has not wona playoff game without JE or JP

 

[kupcho1]

Is the fat naked guy in the orange barrel still around?

Boy I sure hope so. It's still fresh after all of these years. That and the guys that dress up like women and wear hog snouts in DC. That just never gets old.

 

[Broncoholic]

Is the fat naked guy in the orange barrel still around?

Boy I sure hope so. It's still fresh after all of these years. That and the guys that dress up like women and wear hog snouts in DC. That just never gets old.

He's there, and he still leads about 100 of us at a tailgate before the game in a ritual toast followed by shot of a apple sour pucker and some sort of gasoline mixture he makes before each game.....God Love him!

 

[Zowned]

Or...perfectly capable of making a coherent point on a long overdone subject that has no point and no meaning in a world outside of (d)enver!

The loss hurts so much they're still 4 days later

 

[SSOG]

Let's be clear here, these guys are pro athletes that (for the most part) train 3-4 hours a day every day. Will there be adjustments to playing in Denver, certainly. But it's not like your average FBG messageboarder taking a jog in Denver.

As long as we're being perfectly clear here, then let's get it out of the way that the National Olympic Training Center is in Colorado Springs, Colorado... the highest city of any note in America. I'm reasonably sure you'll agree that Olympians are far better pure ATHLETES than football players, right? So if the altitude didn't make any difference, why would Olympians choose to train at as high of an altitude as they possibly could (without sacrificing the comforts of city life- and some of them even do that, eschewing Colorado Springs to train way up in the mountains).Now, you can say that the effect will not be a huge one, and I'm fine with that- opposing teams have won in Colorado before, absolutely. You CAN'T, however, say that there won't be any noticeable effect. If there was no noticable difference, why wouldn't they put the Olympic Training Center in Florida, or California, or Boston, or some other, more desireable location?

In a game frequently decided by just a couple of bounces (or... say... a CB cutting to the middle of the field instead of towards the sidelines on a fumble return), even small advantages can have a huge impact. What would have happened if Big Ben was just a little bit more winded and two steps slower on the tackle?

 

[kupcho1]

As long as we're being perfectly clear here, then let's get it out of the way that the National Olympic Training Center is in Colorado Springs, Colorado... the highest city of any note in America. I'm reasonably sure you'll agree that Olympians are far better pure ATHLETES than football players, right? So if the altitude didn't make any difference, why would Olympians choose to train at as high of an altitude as they possibly could (without sacrificing the comforts of city life- and some of them even do that, eschewing Colorado Springs to train way up in the mountains).

And swimmers shave their bodies, etc., etc. Olympians are looking for every possible edge - no matter how small - because the margin of victory is often measured in 100ths of seconds.If there is such a measurable impact, why don't all athletes in every sport train at high altitude?

opposing teams have won in Colorado before

Wow, quite the concession.

 

[SSOG]

And swimmers shave their bodies, etc., etc. Olympians are looking for every possible edge - no matter how small - because the margin of victory is often measured in 100ths of seconds.

If there is such a measurable impact, why don't all athletes in every sport train at high altitude?

Again, I'm saying that even if it ISN'T a huge edge, in a game as closely contested as a NFL contest, every edge is huge. Again, if this week plays out exactly like Steelers/Colts last week, and the only impact the altitude has IN THE ENTIRE GAME is making Big Ben a step slower on the fumble return, Pittsburgh loses. The altitude affect one player by one step on one play can be enough to turn a game from a win to a loss.The reason why all athletes don't train at a high altitude is because 99% of sports have a "home", where they play 50% of their game. Why on earth would every football team practice in Denver 5 days a week and then fly "home" to play their "home" game on Sunday? That would make no sense? Athletes train in the conditions in which they are most likely to play- players in Miami train in the heat, players in New England train in the cold, and players in Denver train at altitude. This gives them an advantage when playing in their native elements. And who is playing in their native elements this weekend? That's right, the Denver Broncos.

You can say it won't have a huge effect, but you cannot deny that the altitude will have an effect.

 

[Lutherman2112]

First, the disclaimer: I am a Steelers fan, and a fantasy newbie that had both Rod Smith and Jake Plummer (backup QB to Bulger) on one of my squads...lost in round one of fantasy playoffs.I am worried, for the Steelers, regarding the altitude and air at Invesco Field.Don't think it's a problem? Just look at Champ Bailey's 100+ yard INT return with 1 minute left in the 3rd quarter vs. the Pats. He's a conditioned, NFL athelete that should be used the the rarified air, and even mentioned he was embarassed about tanking out and should work on his conditioning.That NE drive featured 8 plays, including the INT, with 7 being pass plays. This means Bailey was running coverage in the defensive backfield a great deal BEFORE the INT, and gassed out AFTER returning the INT some 95+ yards. If DEN sustains long drives, with the clocking ticking, PIT's DB could be gassed late in the game. I could see a scenario in which PIT burns a timeout or two just to get some O2, late in the game.To win, the Steelers must be in the lead early, play ball control late, and shut down the run as to create many 3rd and longs for Denver...hopefully 3 an outs.Can the Steelers win? Yes.Is it going to take some serious game and player management? Yes.This is going to be a great game. I hope everyone watching enjoys the living daylights outta it.HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO!

 

[Lightning-in-a-Bottle]

I've got 3 words you'll hear quit a bit while the steelers are on 'O'In...Com...Plete - This is very loud and can be intimidating in the Mile High City...You can hear it on TV.

 

[Steelers4Life]

I've got 3 words you'll hear quit a bit while the steelers are on 'O'

In...Com...Plete - This is very loud and can be intimidating in the Mile High City...You can hear it on TV.

If a crowd chant like that is enough to intimidate the Steelers in this game, they shouldn't even be on the field. If they weren't affected by the 100 decibel noise in Indianapolis (NO pre-snap penalties), I don't think the crowd in Denver will be any more of a nuissance.

The Broncos are great at home, and the Steelers are great on the road. Something's gotta give.

 

[kupcho1]

You can say it won't have a huge effect, but you cannot deny that the altitude will have an effect.

Yeah, big effect on Ben Watson. Or does he train there as well?