PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5-2) at DENVER BRONCOS (6-1)

Josh McDaniels is in an unfamiliar situation heading into Monday night’s key AFC showdown between his Denver Broncos and the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The rookie head coach will be leading his team on the field for the first time this season following a loss. But if he learned anything from last week’s 30-7 whitewashing at Baltimore, it's that it’s just one game and with a team such as the Steelers on tap there’s no time to dwell on the past.

“We are excited to get back at work, getting ready to play a great football team, the defending Super Bowl champion, on Monday Night Football,” McDaniels said at a mid-week news conference. “It will be a great challenge ahead of us this week to prepare and get ready to play a game against a team that has very, very few, if any, weaknesses. We are going to have to play our best football in order to have an opportunity to beat them on Monday night.” If Denver is to get back on the winning track, these three matchups will be key:

KR/PR Eddie Royal vs. Steelers special teams:

The second-year wide receiver hasn’t been nearly the factor on offense that he has been on special teams. Just ask the San Diego Chargers. Royal returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns three weeks ago in a 34-23 victory. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has given up three touchdowns on special teams -- Percy Harvin (Vikings, last week, 88-yard kickoff return), Josh Cribbs (Browns, Oct. 18, 98-yard kickoff return), and Jacob Hester (Chargers, Oct. 11, 41-yard fumble recovery on a punt return -- in four games. Even if Royal doesn’t break one, just giving field position will be key against the Steelers’ top-ranked run defense.

QB Ben Roethlisberger vs. Denver’s defense:

Roethlisberger has thrown a TD pass in all seven games this season. With wideout Hines Ward leading the way in the passing game with 602 yards -- ranking fifth overall -- the Pittsburgh signal-caller will have to pick his spots, like Joe Flacco did last week for Baltimore, against the Broncos’ top-ranked defense. “I think he just became more and more comfortable in what he was already able to do. Once you do some things and you see a lot of success from doing it, you are obviously going to continue to do it,” Broncos safety Brian Dawkins on Roethlisberger’s play this season. “Some of the things that he is doing now, I don't know if he would have tried to do in the beginning, but he sees that the things are working now, pumping the ball and being able to keep the play alive.” Denver not only has the top sacker in the AFC in Elvis Dumervil, but will be out to redeem itself after a porous second half a week ago.

Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels vs. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin:

If anybody knows what McDaniels is going through this season, it’s Tomlin. The Pittsburgh head man led his team to a Super Bowl last year, becoming the youngest coach -- at age 36 -- to win the Lombardi Trophy. Tomlin has turned Pittsburgh around this season after a 1-2 start, which included three-point losses at Chicago and Cincinnati, to win four straight entering Monday night. McDaniels looks to get Denver back on the winning track after last week’s loss, the first in seven games in the young Denver coach’s career. “He is a great role model for all coaches in this league, young coaches (and) older coaches alike. He is very, very intelligent (and) has a great background history. He learned from a bunch of really great men in this league and does a great job of teaching (and) motivating his players (and) his team. His team is always well prepared. His team is always going to play with great emotion and energy. You never see them with a lack of effort, and I think that is a testament to what he does on a weekly basis or a daily basis with his football team,” McDaniels said of Tomlin and his early career success.

FANTASY PICK

RB Knowshon Moreno: The Broncos’ first-year player leads all rookies in rushing yards, he’s eighth in the AFC, and, yes, he’s facing the top-rushing defense in the league. But these Steelers may not be the same ones we saw two weeks ago against Minnesota. Their defensive line is hurting with the loss of Travis Kirschke, himself a replacement for Aaron Smith who was lost for the season with a torn right rotator cuff, to a left calf muscle injury. Former Bronco draft pick Nick Eason will step into the starting lineup and first-rounder Ziggy Hood is expected to see more time. Add to that the starting free safety Ryan Clark is likely to miss the game because of a rare sickle-cell trait that is complicated by playing in altitude and Pittsburgh’s potent defense could be a little short-handed.

INJURY REPORT

Right tackle Ryan Harris will miss at least this week’s game and probably two more after suffering two dislocated toes in last week’s loss at Baltimore. Second-year pro Tyler Polumbus will make his first career start Monday night in his place. Safety Josh Barrett (hamstring) and defensive lineman Ryan McBean (knee) did not participate in Thursday’s practice. Safety David Bruton (groin) and cornerback Jack Williams (illness) were limited.

--- MICHAEL HICKS.