
3. January 8, 2012- vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
This game pretty much has to be there, even if it stuck with the theme of the 2011 season in which Thomas turned nothing into something.
He only caught four passes in this game, which happened to be an AFC Wild Card game against the Steelers. The Steelers boasted one of the league’s best defenses that season and were the defending AFC champions.
Thomas gained 204 yards through the air on those four catches, averaging over 50 yards per reception. Of course, it was the way the game ended that no Broncos fan will ever forget.
In what, in my opinion, is behind only John Elway’s helicopter dive for the greatest play in Broncos history, Thomas made this catch (video) and then fended off Steelers defender Ike Taylor with a nice stiffarm before racing 80 yards for a touchdown.
This was the year that the NFL changed the overtime rules to give each team an opportunity with the football unless the team that had it first scored a touchdown. The Broncos promptly scored a touchdown on the first play of the extra period.
The stadium in Denver has been rocking many times over the years but this is about as crazy a scene as can be remembered in Denver.