(Sports Network) - The watch is on for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that focus does not concern the team's imminent climb up the AFC North ladder.

At 2-5, and fresh off a loss to the woeful Oakland Raiders last week, NFL observers have now begun charting whether the reigning Super Bowl champs will post the worst regular season encore in league history.

The Denver Broncos, who will look to extend the Steelers' misery at Heinz Field this week, know a little something about that record, because they own it. After winning Super Bowl XXXIII, Mike Shanahan's 1999 team finished 6-10, the poorest follow-up performance by a world champion in a complete season (the 1982 49ers went 3-6 in a strike-shortened year).

If Pittsburgh wishes to restore its confidence and have a fighting chance of avoiding that dubious mark, defeating the Broncos would be a good start. Denver is 5-2 and tied for first place in the AFC West along with San Diego, after Shanahan and company dropped a 34-31 heartbreaker to unbeaten Indianapolis last Sunday. The Broncos had allowed a total of 44 points in their first six games combined before Indy's 34-point performance.

The Steelers, meanwhile, enter Week 9 in a tie for last place in the AFC North along with Cleveland. Since winning their opener against the Dolphins, Pittsburgh has lost five of six, with the 1-5 run marking the franchise's worst six-game stretch since enduring a five-game losing skid in 2003.

SERIES HISTORY

Denver has a 11-6-1 advantage in the all-time regular season series with Pittsburgh, including a 5-4-1 edge in games played in the Steel City. The Broncos were 17-14 home winners in the last regular season meeting, in 2002, but lost the last game played in Pittsburgh, in 1997. Denver's last regular season win in Pittsburgh occurred in 1996.

The Broncos and Steelers have split six games in the postseason, including last year's 34-17 Pittsburgh win in the AFC Championship from Invesco Field at Mile High. The Broncos had won the previous postseason meeting between the teams, a 24-21 win at Three Rivers Stadium in the 1997 Championship. Denver also won AFC Divisional Playoff matchups in 1977 (34-21) and 1989 (24-23), while losing Divisional Playoff games in 1978 (33-10) and 1984 AFC Divisional Playoff (24-17).

Shanahan is 2-2 in his career against the Steelers, including the 2005 playoff loss and 1997 playoff win. Pittsburgh's Bill Cowher is 2-3 in his career against the Broncos, including both playoff games, and is 2-2 head-to-head against Shanahan.

BRONCOS OFFENSE VS. STEELERS DEFENSE

The Broncos have long adopted an attitude that most any running back can be successful within their zone-based blocking scheme, and last week's loss to the Colts proved as much. With primary rusher Tatum Bell (612 rushing yards, 2 TD, 13 receptions) battling turf toe injuries to both feet, undrafted rookie Mike Bell (277 rushing yards, 3 TD) stepped right in with 136 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries. Both Bells are expected to play this week, though the rookie Bell has certainly earned a chance to see increased carries. Fullback Cecil Sapp (4 receptions) contributed two carries for 39 yards last Sunday, including a 28-yard run. The Broncos enter Week 9 ranked third in the league in rushing offense (155.6 yards per game).

The Steelers should enter this game with confidence that they can stop the Denver ground game, since Pittsburgh limited Denver running backs Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell to just 67 combined yards in last year's AFC Championship win. Though other aspects of the Steelers have changed, their run-stopping unit from 2005 remains largely intact, with nose tackle Casey Hampton (13 tackles) and end Aaron Smith (21 tackles, 1.5 sacks) occupying their familiar spots in the trenches and inside linebackers James Farrior (46 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT) and Larry Foote (35 tackles, 3 INT) making plays behind them. Hampton (hamstring) is listed as questionable for this week, but is expected to be in uniform. Pittsburgh is eighth in the league against the run (82.3 yards per game), and held the Raiders to 83 yards on the ground last Sunday.

Last week's loss greatly overshadowed the most efficient game of the season for embattled Denver quarterback Jake Plummer (1158 passing yards, 5 TD, 7 INT), who completed 13-of-21 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown with just one turnover, a lost fumble on a sack that was converted into an Indianapolis touchdown three plays later. Plummer's 104.1 passer rating against the Colts was his best of the year. The veteran had four turnovers in the AFC Championship loss to the Steelers this past January. Wideouts Javon Walker (33 receptions, 3 TD) and Rod Smith (24 receptions, 1 TD) have been Plummer's top targets this season, with Walker catching Plummer's only touchdown pass of the day last Sunday. Rookie tight end Tony Scheffler (6 receptions) also emerged against Indy, hauling in four passes for a team-best 51 yards in the defeat. Plummer, who carries a 65.2 passer rating into Week 9, has been sacked 10 times on the year.

The Steelers' loss to the Raiders certainly had little to do with the work of the pass rush and secondary, as Andrew Walter was limited to 51 passing yards and was sacked six times. Outside linebackers Clark Haggans (38 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 1 INT) and Joey Porter (14 tackles, 4 sacks) had two sacks each of Walter, and Porter came through with his second interception of the season. The Steelers rank among NFL leaders with 22 sacks on the year. Matching up with Walker and Rod Smith this week will likely be Ike Taylor (35 tackles, 1 INT) and Deshea Townsend (21 tackles, 1 INT, 1 sack), respectively, who held the Raiders' trio of Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, and Ronald Curry firmly in check last week. Elsewhere in the secondary, strong safety Troy Polamalu leads the Steelers in interceptions (3), and is tied with Farrior for the club lead in tackles (46). Pittsburgh is eighth in the league against the pass (184.4 yards per game), and is second in the NFL with 12 interceptions.

STEELERS OFFENSE VS. BRONCOS DEFENSE

Ben Roethlisberger's rollercoaster 2006 season went down a precipitous hill last week, when the 2004 NFL Rookie of the Year threw a career-high four interceptions against the Raiders, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Roethlisberger (1346 passing yards, 6 TD, 11 INT), who threw 11 INTs in all of 2005, watched his '06 passer rating plummet to 70.7 despite throwing for 301 yards and a touchdown in the game. Wideouts Hines Ward (34 receptions, 5 TD) and Cedrick Wilson (17 receptions) were Big Ben's top targets in the loss, with Ward going for 81 yards on eight catches and Wilson hauling in five passes for 53 yards. Third receiver Nate Washington (16 receptions, 3 TD) and tight end Heath Miller (14 receptions, 2 TD), both of whom were quiet against Oakland, will try to get more involved this week. A major problem for the Steelers has been pressure, as Steeler quarterbacks have been sacked 22 times already in 2006. Complicating the effort to improve on that trend is the absence of Pro Bowl center Jeff Hartings (knee), who is expected to be out for an extended period.

Roethlisberger will be seeking to attack a Denver defense that had its problems against Indianapolis' Peyton Manning last Sunday, allowing the perennial Pro Bowler to complete 32-of-39 passes for 345 yards and three touchdowns without a sack or a turnover. The player identified as having struggled in the game was second-year cornerback Darrent Williams (41 tackles, 1 INT), who was burned for a career day by Indy wideout Reggie Wayne. Fellow corner Champ Bailey (37 tackles, 3 INT) will likely be blanketing Ward this week, with safeties John Lynch (31 tackles) and Nick Ferguson (29 tackles) lending support. The Broncos' top pass rusher this season has been rookie Elvis Dumervil (5 sacks), who already has more sacks than any Bronco posted in 2005, but was shut out against Manning last Sunday.

The Steelers' reputation as a punishing run team has taken a major hit during their 2-5 start, as Pittsburgh enters Week 9 ranked a distant 16th in NFL rushing offense (110.4 yards per game). The Black and Gold were fifth in the league in rushing (138.9 yards per game) a year ago. Jerome Bettis' retirement is undoubtedly one factor in the lack of ground punch, and things don't figure to get much better after trusty third-down back Verron Haynes (78 rushing yards, 18 receptions) was lost for the season with a torn ACL last week. Now, Willie Parker (564 rushing yards, 13 receptions, 6 TD) will have to carry even more of the load, with ex-Packer Najeh Davenport (78 rushing yards, 1 TD) perhaps assuming a greater role. Parker had 83 yards on 22 carries against the Raiders (39 of those yards coming on a single run), and also caught Roethlisberger's lone touchdown pass of the day.

The last vestiges of the Broncos pre-Colts defensive greatness lies within their run defense, which is still the only outfit in the NFL that has yet to allow a rushing touchdown on the year. Linebackers Al Wilson (49 tackles), Ian Gold (48 tackles), and D.J. Williams (36 tackles) have been at the forefront of the effort, though the trio couldn't prevent the Colts' Joseph Addai from moving the chains with 93 yards on 17 carries last Sunday. Gold had a team- high nine tackles in the setback. Denver should be better against the run this week if defensive tackle Gerard Warren (16 tackles), who missed last Sunday's game with a sprained right big toe, is able to return. Warren is listed as probable on the injury report. The Broncos currently rank seventh in the NFL against the run (90.6 yards per game).

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The Steelers' offensive deficiencies have been well-chronicled, and there isn't a great deal of hope that Pittsburgh will break out of that funk this week. With Hartings and Haynes now joining Jerome Bettis and Antwaan Randle El on the list of key offensive players from last year's Super Bowl run that are either departed or on the shelf, and with Denver's defense still a formidable unit, don't look for Roethlisberger's fortunes to improve on Sunday. The Steelers will sputter, Plummer will benefit from some short fields, and the Broncos will head back home with a win.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Broncos 17, Steelers 9