Tim Tebow-to-Demaryius Thomas touchdown still highlights Broncos-Steelers series | Paul Klee

With the Steelers in town, my thoughts turned to the late, great Demaryius Thomas.

DT is missed.

In his library of highlights, one stands alone: It lasts 10.9 seconds and will live forever through the voice of 850 KOA’s Dave Logan: “Here we go… 40… 35… it’s a foot race… 20… 15… 10…”

Touchdown, Denver.

The Broncos host the Steelers Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High. The stakes are less high.

Thomas retired from football in June 2021, making him eligible for the Broncos' Ring of Fame next season. There won’t be a dry eye at Mile High at the Ring of Fame induction ceremony for DT. He died in December 2021, two weeks shy of his 34th birthday.

I suspect the Broncos will do it right and make the beloved wide receiver a first-ballot honoree.

DT was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.

The Broncos and Steelers are tied with eight Super Bowl appearances, second-most in the NFL, and share a history of memorable matchups. The Broncos beat the Steelers in 1977 for Denver’s first postseason win. The Broncos won at Pittsburgh in the 1997 AFC championship game en route to their first Super Bowl title. The Steelers won here in the 2005 AFC title game, a triumph for Pittsburgh that led to a Super Bowl title and crushed the dreams of a severely undervalued Broncos team.

As good as they were, none had the surreal drama of Tim Tebow’s 80-yard catch-and-sprint to Thomas in 2011.

It was 2014 when I sat down with Demaryius to rewatch the Tebow-to-Thomas touchdown that shook the Front Range and beat the Steelers in a Wild Card playoff game.

He couldn’t stop smiling.

“I've never watched the whole game,” he said. “Only the highlights.”

The 2011 Steelers were 12-4 and coming off a Super Bowl berth. They had Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback and Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Hines Ward at wide receiver.

Tebow and the Broncos were 8-point underdogs, which seems low.

Turns out, the Broncos had the best player on the field — and DT called game.

The game went to overtime and a coin toss. Pittsburgh said tails and the flip came up heads.

Broncos ball.

“I remember when we were in the huddle,” Thomas told me in 2014. “We weren’t thinking about a touchdown — just keeping the ball, keeping the driving going.”

The Broncos in regulation had started all 12 offensive possessions with a running play. Not in OT.

As Eddie Royal went in motion, DT pulled my cell phone closer to his face. His smile grew.

“When the safety (Pittsburgh’s Ryan Mundy) came down, I was like, ‘Oh, man,’” Thomas said. “I knew that if I just beat Ike (Taylor) there’s a lot of field on the other side.”

Next came the DT stiff arm that sealed the deal.

“I didn’t have many moves coming up,” DT laughed. “So I would just stick out my hand.”

After watching the 80-yard sprint on video, Demaryius rewound and watched it again.

And again.

Tebow finished with 316 passing yards. Thomas was responsible for 204 of them.

What Broncos Country would do to watch No. 88 again. And again.

“When I was running, it felt like we were in a commercial,” DT said. “It was so loud, I can’t even describe it.”