Mile High Stadium – Syndication Server

Playing a mile above sea level can be an advantage for Sean Payton’s Broncos

The Broncos have the second-best home winning percentage in the NFL over the last 50 years.

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The Denver Broncos love reminding opposing teams that they play a mile above sea level with signs pointing it out at their aptly-named Empower Field at Mile High Stadium.

Playing at such a high elevation against teams that aren’t conditioned for it can give the Broncos an edge, both physically and mentally. New players — and coaches — who joined Denver this offseason will have to adjust to it this summer. Once they are adjusted, the elevation can serve as an advantage.

“All the coaches when we first arrived went up a set of steps, and for two weeks, all of us were looking at each other like, ‘This is nuts,'” Payton recalled during his media session at rookie minicamp earlier this month. “Pretty soon, it goes away. We talk a lot about hydration and getting acclimated. Generally speaking, I’m not an expert on that.

“When [the Saints] traveled here, we spent a lot of time discussing if we should come two days early, or do you come the normal one day early. The experts would say the only way to get acclimated is to come 10 days early. If not, then come as late as possible and make sure you’re hydrating. We’re making sure they understand that. The benefits of being here on a constant basis is this is your baseline. When you do travel to sea level — so many Olympic athletes train at altitude so that there hopefully is a benefit. We talk about it.”

The Broncos have the second-best home win percentage (.684) in the NFL over the last 50 years, only trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers (.714). Playing a mile above sea level is just one of many factors for that impressive home record, but it shouldn’t be overlooked as a genuine advantage.

Every advantage adds up in the NFL, and being accustomed to playing a mile above sea level will be useful for Denver’s nine home games this fall.

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Saints can win at Mile High Stadium for the first time since 1994

The New Orleans Saints have an opportunity to defeat the Denver Broncos for the third time, and just the second time at Mile High Stadium.

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The NFL’s scheduling system means some teams face each other only rarely, which is illustrated well by the few meetings between the New Orleans Saints and the Denver Broncos. The two squads have played against one another just 11 times since their first game in 1970, with the Broncos owning a 9-2 all-time record.

But that doesn’t have anything to do with their upcoming matchup in Week 12. With Taysom Hill quarterbacking the Saints and underwhelming Broncos starter Drew Lock spiraling on the other side, the Saints have their best opportunity to win at Mile High Stadium for the first time since 1984.

That was a too-close 30-28 victory powered by 343 passing yards from Jim Everett, who threw 3 touchdown passes (2 of them to wide receiver Torrance Small, who also accounted for 200 receiving yards). Defensive backs Carl Lee and Vinnie Clark intercepted Broncos quarterback Hugh Millen 3 times (twice for Lee, his final year in the NFL), and the Saints pass rush racked up 4 sacks (with forever-underrated defensive end Wayne Martin getting home twice on his own).

Ironically, this was the final game current Broncos head coach Vic Fangio worked as Saints linebackers coach — he was hired as Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator months later, bringing Dome Patrol star Sam Mills with him as founding members of the new NFL franchise. Mills was recently named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the fourth time.

It could take another big day from the Saints defenders to escape with a win this Sunday. They were up to the task against the Atlanta Falcons in Taysom Hill’s first start, sacking Matt Ryan 8 times while picking him off twice, and shutting down the Falcons run game. The Broncos will be hoping to keep pressure off Lock against a tenacious Saints defensive line, so expect them to challenge New Orleans often on the ground after Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay combined for 31 carries and 166 rushing yards (plus 2 touchdown runs) a week ago against a good Miami Dolphins defense.

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History of the Pittsburgh Steelers versus Denver Broncos

A weekly series that examines the history of the Steelers versus their 2020 opponents.

This is the second in a 13-part weekly series examing the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers versus their 2020 opponents.

The second on the Steelers schedule is a matchup versus the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Sept. 20, at Heinz Field. The last time these two met was in Denver in November of 2018, and the Steelers lost 24-17. Since then, the Steelers have most notably lost wide receiver Antonio Brown and tight end, Jesse James. The Broncos are now without quarterback Case Keenum and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

Let’s take a look at the history between these two franchises.

Overall, the Broncos lead the series 20-11-1. Of those 32 games, 19 have been hosted at Mile High Stadium in Denver.

Their first-ever matchup was played on Sept. 27, 1970, at Mile High, when the Steelers lost by a field goal, 16-13.

The Broncos reigned victorious the next two contests. Their fourth time meeting ended in their first and only tie, at 35. Pittsburgh finally beat Denver in 1975 at Three Rivers Stadium thanks to two touchdowns by wide receiver Lynn Swann. The final score of 20-9 took the Steelers to 3-1 on the season.

The biggest blowout of the series came in primetime on Monday, Oct. 22, 1979, at Three Rivers. The Steelers crushed the Orange Crush, 42-7. It was a long game for the Broncos as their only points were scored in the first quarter.

There has never been a shutout in Steelers-Broncos history. The closest to it was in 1989 when the Denver beat Pittsburgh 34-7 at Mile High.

The biggest heartbreaker of the series was in 1990 when the Steelers faced the Broncos in Denver for the AFC Championship game. It started out as a defensive battle as Gary Anderson’s field goal were the only points in the first quarter. Running back, Merrill Hodge scored the first Steelers touchdown in the second, and the teams traded scores throughout the game. Anderson added an FG in the third and fourth quarters to give Pittsburgh a six-point lead. Broncos quarterback John Elway then lead his team 71 yards downfield for what would be the game-winning TD. The Steelers had a chance to pull off the win, but quarterback Bubby Brister fumbled the ball, crushing the Steelers hopes for a fifth trip to the Super Bowl.

Jan 7, 1990; Denver, CO, USA; FILE PHOTO; Pittsburgh Steelers running back (33) Merrill Hodge is hit by Denver Broncos safety (49) Dennis Smith during the 1989 Divisional Playoff Game at Mile High Stadium. The Broncos defeated the Steelers 24-23. Mandatory Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports © Copyright USA TODAY Sports

In the Ben Roethlisberger era, the Steelers have only beaten the Broncos three out of nine times. All but two of those games have been at Mile High.

The last time Pittsburgh hosted Denver was in 2015. WR Antonio Brown was the star of that game hauling in two of Roethlisberger’s passes for TDs as the 8-5 Steelers beat the 10-3 Broncos, 34-27.

This year’s contest will be Roethlisberger’s first game at Heinz Field since his season-ending elbow injury on Sept. 15, 2019.

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