Manning, Broncos scramble to Super Bowl in 20-18 win over NE

In Denver, the season goes on.

The Broncos (14-4) needed one last big play to secure their spot in the Super Bowl and they got it from the unlikeliest of places – safety Shiloh Keo, a free agent who joined the team last month, smothered the onside kick.

New England got the ball in great field position after winning a challenge.

Whether it’s been Manning lining up under center, or Brock Osweiler, who took snaps while Manning was injured for six weeks toward the end of the season, the Broncos have depended on a defense that gave up the fewest yards this season and came up with game-saving plays time and again. The top-ranked defense of the Denver Broncos is applying plenty of pressure in the AFC championship game.

The second half was a war of attrition with the sides splitting a pair of field goals before the Patriots got the ball back with one minute, 52 seconds remaining.

Cary Chow and Tom Waddle break down the Broncos’ 20-18 win over the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

“It’s a great honor to be going back to the Super Bowl – playing Super Bowl 50”, Manning said.

Despite his record haul of five National Football League most valuable player awards, the 39-year-old Manning has won only one Super Bowl and finished runner-up in two other trips. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady leads the all-time series with an 11-5 record, but the two are tied in the postseason at 2-2. “He has two. That’s the final chapter”.

Two plays later, Steven Jackson ran behind his right guard and into the end zone – the first touchdown of his 12-year career.

No doubt, Brady and Patriots want dearly to beat the Broncos and earn a chance to defend their title. At one point, he wandered behind the banner behind his father, who stopped to make sure he was okay.

Brady hasn’t shown any real signs of slowing down. As well, the Patriots offensive line looked almost ideal last game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

No, you’re not seeing things. “His preparation, his rest and treatment and getting his body ready and his mind right”.

“Even though these games have finality to them that some games in the regular season or preseason don’t have, he approaches it the same way”.

On the season the Broncos have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing defenses while the Patriots’ defense scored 41 fantasy points over the last month of the regular season.

Manning has slowed down quite a bit and threw just nine touchdown passes this season (along with 17 interceptions), and it doesn’t seem like it would be in the Broncos’ interest to get involved in a high-scoring track meet here. Manning said with a laugh.

“(No.) 18 is a little more amped up (for the playoffs)”, Anderson told the Broncos’ official website. The Patriots had to go for 2 because Stephen Gostkowski missed an first extra point in the first quarter, his first miss in 524 tries.

The Patriots, meanwhile, listed 16 players as questionable to play, including tight end Rob Gronkowski (knee and back) and wide receivers Danny Amendola (knee) and Julian Edelman (foot). “You can’t play anything less than your best and expect to win, because he’s going to play well and he’s going to have that team playing well”.