This NFL season has been an interesting for the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos who have been arguably one of the best teams in the AFC this season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have done well so far this season with a 5-2 record, but they are not the same team as they were last season in their championship campaign. The Steelers suffered a major blow early with their superstar safety Troy Polamalu going down with an injury against the Tennessee Titans in week one and as a result was out of commission for the next four games for Pittsburgh.

Despite arguably their best defensive player watching from the sidelines the Steelers were still able to win two of the four games without Polamalu in the secondary. Along with the huge hit to defense with Polamalu, the Steelers have really struggled in the running game this season which has forced quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to do a lot more in the offense which has resulted in more passing yards and touchdowns, but a lot more interceptions as well.

As of right now the Steelers are in somewhat of a dog fight with the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North as their arch rival is sitting atop the division with a 6-2 record and another impressive win over the Baltimore Ravens.

Can the Steelers still contend?

Yes, without a doubt. The Steelers are one of the most resilient teams in the league and you can never count them out. With a win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night football, Pittsburgh will almost certainly be back in the Super Bowl contender conversation. Their win over the once undefeated Minnesota Vikings was impressive, but a win over Denver will prove the win over Brett Favre and company was no fluke.

As for the Denver Broncos they are coming off their first loss of the season to AFC North contender in the Baltimore Ravens and will be looking to get back on track with a big win over the defending champs. Last week the Ravens really exposed the Broncos for the first time this season as they lit up Josh McDaniels squad for 30 points and held them to just seven. That was the first time in the season since week one that the Broncos gave up 30 points and any points in the second half. The Denver defense has been the key to the Broncos success so far this season and if they come to play on Monday night then Big Ben and the Steelers could be in trouble.

This will be a close game and it will most likely come down to the wire, but in the end I see the Denver Broncos winning this one and getting themselves back into contender status. Ironically enough this is a must win for the Broncos as their lead in the AFC West has begun to shrink with the San Diego Chargers quickly closing the gap despite the two losses to Denver.