Pats fall in AFC title game

Less than 24 hours after his team’s nail-biting loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick sounded like someone already looking forward to the 2016 season.

DENVER (AP) – No, you’re not seeing things.

The drive was capped when Manning found Owen Daniels over the middle for a 21-yard pass play and a 7-0 lead with 7:32 to play in the first quarter.

The Denver Broncos beat the New England Patriots 20-18 in a dramatic AFC Championship game and will face the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

The Patriots, providing next to no protection for Brady, pulled into position to tie with 17 seconds remaining when tight end Rob Gronkowski pulled in a four-yard touchdown pass to close the gap to two points.

The Patriots’ last-ditch effort was a two-point conversion attempt, but Brady’s pass to Julian Edelman was tipped and intercepted.

Roby, who forced the game-changing fumble in last week’s victory over Pittsburgh, made the pick. The Broncos recovered the onside kick and the celebration began. Manning still trails Brady 11-6 overall but improved to 3-2 against him in the playoffs.

Before we witnessed the Carolina Panthers “layeth the smacketh down!” on the Arizona Cardinals, the New England Patriots were considered to be the Super Bowl favorites.

NOT SO AUTOMATIC: The reliable Stephen Gostkowski missed a rare extra point early in the game, one that haunted the Patriots the rest of the way.

The Broncos’ 39-year-old quarterback Peyton Manning, who has faced criticism all season after struggling with poor form and injury, has a chance to win his second Super Bowl title. There is the old guy getting back to the big game after a bad year personally in Peyton Manning.

The Denver defense is for sure to have their hands full when they play an offense that will be led by the NFL MVP.

Von Miller finished with two and a half sacks and an interception.

Tom Brady completed just 48 percent of his passes and was hit, hurried or sacked on about two-thirds of his throws. On fourth-and-10, Brady floated the ball for Gronkowski, who made an incredible catch at the 10 for a first down with one minute to play. The Broncos have gone to the Super Bowl seven times under owner Pat Bowlen, tying New England’s Robert Kraft for the most in National Football League history…. The last trip was ugly – a 43-8 loss to Seattle two years ago.

The Super Bowl will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

“We all battled and worked so hard”, said Newton, who now has 50 touchdowns this season. Manning and Daniels teamed up again for another score early in the second quarter. Some thought his career might be over after that one.