PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Steelers’ fans rode a wave of emotion during Sunday’s Wild Card Playoff game.

First, the shock of seeing their team fall behind, and then the furious comeback that led to a finish almost no one saw coming.

The Steelers came into the match-up with Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos as the favorites, but they didn’t look the part through the first half of the game.

“I think any true Steeler fan is probably going through a couple heart attacks during the game, as you should, but I think in the end we’re going to come out on top,” said fan Leslie Ezra Smith.

In fact, from the Strip District to the South Side, emotions were hovering around disbelief.

“It’s going to be a real tight, close scoring game because, you know, Denver’s hungry, and I don’t know if the Steelers are as hungry as Denver is,” added Cheryl Washington, another fan.

But in the second half, it looked like a different game and a different team.

Even fan Mike Dillinger, who has been growing his beard for months, decided he wasn’t ready to shave just yet.

“I mean we won two Super Bowls and we’ve been to three; it’s a lucky beard,” he said. “I’m not ready to shave this beard; I feel good about this beard.”

Dillinger believed that until the very end. In fact, most fans held on to that belief into overtime, but in an instant the Steelers’ season was over, leaving many fans in disbelief.

And Dillinger knew automatically what he had to do.

“Yep, going home to shave,” he said.

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