The and , in the eyes of most historians, are not considered cla sic rivals. They don't play each other that often, with the Broncos residing in the AFC West and the Steelers competing in the AFC North. In fact, the teams have only played each other 33 times, with the Broncos on the winning end 20 times.While they don't play often, Pittsburgh and Denver are intertwined as far as playoff history is concerned. In fact, you can't tell the complete story of either franchise without mentioning the other. All told, the Steelers and Broncos have faced each other in the playoffs eight times, with the winner of that game going onto represent the AFC in the six times.Before the two teams square off Sunday at Heinz Field, we decided to take a look at each of their playoff matchups, games that helped shape the history of not only the Steelers and Broncos franchises, but NFL history as well.The Broncos, led by their "Orange Crush" defense, had their way with the Steelers, who appeared to be a team in decline after winning back-to-back Super Bowls earlier Naz Reid Jersey in the decade. And while the Steelers rallied to tie the score early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos responded with a pair of field goals by Jim Turner. Denver then put the game on ice following Craig Morton's touchdown pa s to Jack Doblin. Morton threw two touchdowns against Pittsburgh's fabled "Steel Curtain" defense. Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw three interceptions, including two to Broncos linebacker Tom Jackson. While Denver, the defending AFC champion, was able to make it back to the playoffs in 1978, it was no match for the Steelers, who took full advantage of the league's new rules favoring the offense. Bradshaw, that year's league MVP, threw fourth quarter touchdown pa ses to Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. The Steelers' defense, led by Hall of Famers Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, and Donnie Shell, registered six sacks while holding the Broncos to 218 total yards. The Steelers then dispatched Houston and Dallas to become the first franchise to win three Super Bowls.This was the second playoff game for current coach Bill Belichick, who served as a Broncos special teams and defensive a sistant during the '78 season. December 30, 1978AFC Divisional Round John Stallworth sets a playoff record with 10 catches (10-156-1)Bradshaw 16-29-272-2-1Weese 8-16-118Morton 3-5-34 Old Time Football (@Ol_TimeFootball) John Elway's first playoff Josh Okogie Jersey game serves as one of the most disappointing playoff lo ses in Broncos history. Fresh off of a 13-3 regular season, the Broncos fell at home to the Steelers, who squeaked into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. While Pittsburgh's defense sacked Elway four times while also picking him off twice, the Steelers' offense received a stellar effort from running backs Frank Pollard and Walter Abercrombie, who combined to ama s 240 total yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Louis LIpps' 10-yard touchdown tied the score in the fourth quarter, while Pollard's second touchdown gave Pittsburgh the lead for good. December 30, 1984The 10-6 travel to Denver to take on the 13-3 Broncos. ties the game on a 4th quarter pa s from Tomlin Reactions (@TomlinReactions) Five Ed Davis Jersey years after their dramatic playoff upset in Denver, the Steelers (who upset the Oilers one week earlier in the wild card round) nearly did it again in the '89 playoffs, taking a 17-7 second quarter lead on touchdowns by Lipps and running back Merril Hoge, who ran for 120 yards while also catching eight pa ses for 60 yards.Tryone Braxton's recovered fumble, followed by Elway's 37-yard touchdown pa s to Vance Johnson, tied the score at the start of the second half. Pittsburgh responded with a pair of field goals before Elway led the Broncos on a game-winning drive that culminated with Mel Bratton's 1-yard touchdown. The Broncos would eventually clinch their third AFC title in four years, while the lo s served as the final playoff game for Steelers Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll.A month after getting decisively beaten in Pittsburgh, the Broncos, who edged the top-seeded in Arrowhead Stadium a week earlier, flipped the script in the '97 AFC Championship Game. After falling behind early, the Broncos, led by Terrell Davis' 139 rushing yards and a defense that forced three Kordell Stewart interceptions, led by 10 points heading into the fourth quarter. But after Pittsburgh pulled to within a field goal on Stewart's 14-yard touchdown pa s to , the Broncos faced a crucial third and six situation with two minutes left. Elway, who still in pursuit of his first Super Bowl title, punched his fourth ticket to the James Johnson Jersey Super Bowl after completing the game-clinching pa s to Shannon Sharpe. Denver would then upset the to become the first AFC team to win the Super Bowl since the '83 . After 60 Broncos seasons, an appreciation:My favorite playoff wins, counted down:#13January 11, 1998. AFCCG. On one of the most important 3rd downs in Broncos history, Elway rockets the ball to Sharpe to beat the Steelers 24-21 to advance to the SB! Broncos Outsider (@BroncosOutside) Eight years after suffering a bitter playoff lo s at the hands of the Broncos, Jerome Bettis was on the other side of history on Jan. 22, 2006. A week after shocking and the rest of the the top-seeded , Bettis and the Steelers pulled off another upset in Denver, as three touchdowns helped punch Pittsburgh's Super Bowl ticket. The Steelers' defense, , also played a signifiant role in the win, forcing four turnovers that included two interceptions of Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer. The Steelers would go onto become the first to win the Super Bowl as a sixth seed. Ben Roethlisberger gives the guns in the 2005 AFC Championship game against the Broncos BlitzburghUSAVideos (@sdextrasmedia) Despite winning 12 regular season games, the Steelers were the visiting team for this playoff game after losing the AFC North division title to the 13-3 . After forcing Pittsburgh to settle for field goals early, the Broncos, who won the AFC West that season despite posting a .500 record, took a 20-6 halftime lead on the strength of two touchdown pa ses. Roethlisberger rallied the Steelers to a late game-tying score before Tebow hit for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime. The win capped off a magical year for Tebow, who engineered several game-winning drives throughout the course of the 2011 season. On this date 8 years ago: Tim Tebow threw an 80-yard TD pa s to Demaryius Thomas in the AFC wildcard game to shock the Steelers in overtime. CBS Sports (@CBSSports) Despite having , and sidelined with injuries, the underdog Steelers, led by 194 all-purpose yards, led 13-9 and where threatening to add to their lead at the start of the fourth quarter. The complexion of the game changed when recovered a fumble by Pittsburgh running back deep Andrew Wiggins Jersey in Denver territory. Le s than six minutes after Tou saint's fumble, the Broncos took the le