In the opinion of Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley, Pittsburgh’s playoff loss in Denver was less a matter of the Broncos playing well than the Steelers playing badly.
Woodley says that even now, five months later, that overtime loss particularly stings -- because he believes the Steelers should have won that game, and should have won it handily.
“What gives you motivation is not playing in the Super Bowl, getting eliminated in the first round, losing to a team we had no business losing to,” Woodley told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “It’s a team we should have easily beat. That’s motivation, watching teams play the week after us.”
The Steelers were a better team than the Broncos during the regular season and were heavily favored going into the playoff game, so in that respect Woodley is right: The Steelers should have beaten the Broncos. It’s not surprising that the Steelers view that loss as motivation this offseason, because it’s a loss the Steelers believe never should have happened.