The New England Patriots travel to Sports Authority Field at Mile High to face the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game Sunday afternoon. It's the 17th meeting between Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and it will likely be the last time audiences across the country will get to watch this historic rivalry.
The Broncos finished the 2015 regular season as the top-seed in the AFC, and quarterback Peyton Manning is looking to lead Denver back to the Super Bowl for the second time in four seasons. Broncos first year head coach Gary Kubiak has changed Denver's game plan since arriving and has turned them into a dominant defensive team that wants to run the ball often.
The Broncos ran the ball 33 times in the divisional round against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and running back C.J. Anderson led the way with 15 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown. Manning had 222 passing yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions against the Steelers. The Broncos quarterback showed last week that he can still move the ball through the air, but he will look to take advantage of any weakness the Patriots' defense gives him.
While Manning and the Broncos' offense may have received most of the attention leading up to this AFC Championship game, it's the Broncos defense that separates this team from others. The Broncos finished the regular season as the top ranked defense in terms of yards allowed, and know the key to a victory Sunday will be creating pressure on Brady.
Broncos linebacker Von Miller can disrupt entire offensive game plans by getting after the quarterback and has been a consistent playmaker for Denver's stingy defense. Miller recorded 11 sacks during the regular season and four forced fumbles. The Broncos know that Brady and Belichick will look to move the ball quickly, and coverage will be a huge factor as the Patriots have two extremely talented weapons in tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Julian Edelman.
The Patriots have not lost this season when Edelman has played, as the Patriots star wide receiver did not play the last time these two teams met in November. New England clearly missed their talented wide receiver down the stretch of the season, and Edelman will look to make his presence felt in Sunday's Championship game. Edelman has developed into Brady's quick release target whenever under pressure and returned strong in the playoffs last weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs. Edelman was targeted 16 times and caught 10 passes for 100 yards last week, and he will likely see plenty of targets Sunday.
Edelman consistently moves the chains for the Patriots offense and always seems to reach the first down marker on tough third-down scenarios. While Edelman creates miss matches with his quickness, Gronkowski is arguably the best the weapon in all of football. The Patriots tight end lead the team in receiving this season with 72 receptions for 1,176 yards and has scored 11 touchdowns. Gronkowski tends to be too fast for linebackers and too big for corners, and, therefore, is a matchup nightmare for any defense.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is having another incredible season under center in New England, and look for both Brady and Belichick to exploit any weakness they find in Denver's secondary on Sunday. New England is trying to repeat as Super Bowl Champions but will first have to earn a win at Mile High.
Sunday's AFC Championship game features two of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, and it's only fitting that the two face each other for a chance to reach Super Bowl 50.
Where To Watch: CBS at 3:05 p.m. Eastern time.
To Watch Online Live Stream: click here.
New England Patriots Radio Broadcast: click here.
Denver Broncos Radio Broadcast: click here.
