Denver Broncos vs New England Patriots NFL Playoffs 2016 Preview: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning to Meet Again for AFC Title
This season's AFC championship game looks very familiar, with the New England Patriots battling it out with the Denver Broncos. These two teams are the best when it comes to quarterback power — Tom Brady of the Pats and Peyton Manning of the Broncos. And what's even more interesting is that these two American football greats will be facing each other in a rather colorful rivalry spanning more than a decade.
Game Preview
New England Patriots – This team wants to win this to get another crack at the Super Bowl, which will be their ninth, should they pull through with the victory. Since head coach Bill Belichick took over and Tom Brady quarterbacking the team, they've gone 3-3 on playoff games played on the road. However, it has to be noted that they haven't won in Denver, ever.
If there's any indication as to how this game would turn out, consider the fact that Brady only has been intercepted once in the Pats' last five games. Good news for them is that wide receiver Julian Edelman is ready to play, though the team's leading rusher, LeGarrette Blount, won't be seeing any more action after suffering from hip injury.
Denver Broncos – The Broncos for their part are looking directly at making history if they win this one. While quarterback Peyton Manning hasn't really been playing at the highest level these past few games, his team's defense usually bails him out. A victory on Sunday will take Denver to the Super Bowl for the 8th time and that means they're going to be very tough to beat at this point.
This team is the league leader in sacks during the regular season. In their Week 12 matchup with the Patriots, they sacked Brady thrice, in the process winning in overtime. It also is quite interesting to learn that they have a much better rushing yards average when Manning didn't start. It is intriguing to see how the coaching staff will address this discrepancy on Sunday.
Every NFL fan shouldn't miss this game for one very simple reason: It may be the very last time we'll see two of the game's finest quarterbacks playing against each other.
Game details
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 24
- Time: 3:05 p.m. ET
- Venue: Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver
- TV Coverage: CBS