Five Key Matchups: Broncos vs. Steelers

Von Miller has sacked Ben Roethlisberger three times (including playoffs), and he'll be looking to add to that total on Sunday. But it will be no easy task.

"Not only is he a great quarterback, he's hard to get down," Miller said Wednesday. "He's like a defensive tackle out there. He's hard to bring down and he has great targets."

The respect between Miller and Roethlisberger is mutual.

"I've got nothing but crazy respect for him," Roethlisberger said Wednesday. "[He's] such a good football player and he really takes pride in his craft. He's almost scientific about it. His work ethic, his studying and all the stuff that he does, he is an incredible football player."

Miller has been on a roll over the past few weeks, registering at least half a sack in five straight contests. Roethlisberger has also been playing well, scoring 17 total touchdowns during the Steelers' six-game winning streak.

"We have to first contain Ben," Joseph said Wednesday. "We have to contain him with the pass rush plan. Second, how you tackle Ben is tackle the arms. If you don't tackle the arms, he's getting the ball off. … The key is to have a great rush plan and when we get there tackle his arms so that he can't throw the football."

Emmanuel Sanders admitted he would be a little emotional playing against his former team, but that won't throw him off his game.

"It feels like I've been a Bronco my whole career, but I still remember the days there," Sanders said Wednesday. "… but at the end of the day, I really want to win this game, for sure."

Sanders has been playing some of his best football this season at age 31, and he's on track to surpass 1,000 yards for the fourth time in his career and third time as a Bronco. On Sunday, though, he'll face one of the game's better corners in Joe Haden, a two-time Pro Bowler.

The Broncos are at their best when Sanders is involved — his 38-yard catch helped spark the game-winning drive against the Chargers — and getting him going against Haden could be a key to success.

Last time Antonio Brown faced the Broncos, he reeled in 16 catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns against a banged-up secondary. But Chris Harris Jr. is determined to make up for his struggles the last time he matched up against Pittsburgh's superstar wideout.

"I didn't have a good game that night, and it was tough that game," Harris said Wednesday. "It won't be nothing like that again. … That's definitely motivation."

If his recent form is any indication, Harris will have a better game this time around. Over the past four weeks, he's recorded two interceptions — one returned for a touchdown — two passes defended and 21 tackles.

When Le'Veon Bell decided to sit out before the season started, it looked like the Steelers' rushing offense might struggle. Instead, with James Conner in Bell's place, it hasn't skipped a beat. Conner has 796 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, among the best in the league. He's not a one-dimensional player, though. He also has 45 receptions.

"I think really just probably the pass game [has impressed me most]," Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said Wednesday. "Running backs are made to run the ball, but when you can do the extra things, that makes you a little more special."

But Todd Davis, who leads the Broncos with 72 tackles, will be up to the task. He's headed a defense that hasn't allowed 100 yards rushing in the last five weeks, and that's come against some of the league's best, such as Melvin Gordon and Kareem Hunt. If the defense can play well again, it will give the Broncos an advantage on Sunday.

"I think it's a combination of guys doing their job and tackling better," Head Coach Vance Joseph said Wednesday. "Obviously scheme helps, and scheme changes week-to-week, but just getting back to fitting gaps and tackling and [on] first, second down, kind of dictating what we give the offense."

There's not much Phillip Lindsay hasn't done this season. He's the second-leading rookie rusher, he's averaging nearly 5.5 yards per carry, and he's also caught 24 passes.

As Joseph said earlier in the year, "Thank God we've got the little guy."

Lindsay has shown a terrific mix of power, vision and speed, but Sunday will present one of his toughest challenges this season. Pittsburgh is a tough, physical defense that ranks ninth in rushing yards per game allowed.

Outside linebacker T.J. Watt is a big reason for Pittsburgh's success. He has 10 sacks this season and is the first Steelers linebacker to reach that mark since James Harrison in 2010. He also has a nose for the football with four fumbles forced, tied for third in the NFL. Lindsay will have to be aware of where Watt is on every play and tuck the ball away tightly whenever he is nearby.