AFC/NFC Championship previews: Brady vs. Manning XVII

“One guy (Tom Brady) is playing in his 10th and there are two guys that are playing in their first”, Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer says of reaching the last step before the Super Bowl.

Brady and Manning have played one another 16 times since 2001 with Brady’s teams winning 11 of them, and the Patriots have won three of four Brady-Manning Bowls since Manning joined the Broncos (Brock Osweiler was Denver’s starter when the Broncos handed the Pats their first loss of the season in Week 12). It could be the last Tom Brady-Peyton Manning matchup ever, so both quarterbacks could be that much more determined for a win.

With the New England Patriots coming to town, there are a few important keys that the Denver Broncos will need to focus on in order to punch their ticket to Super Bowl 50.

It’s just that their 17th meeting no longer features a pair of icons in their considerable prime.

This season, Brady has been solid and Manning has not.

So will it be Brady heading back to the Super Bowl for the second year running or will Manning continue to have the edge in Championship showdowns?

“It’s always frustrating when you lose”, said Brady. “That’s the difference in these two guys”.

Patriots fans from all over the country have made their way to Denver for the AFC Championship.

Talib left as a free agent and signed with Denver after that season.

Carolina, whose only defeat all season came in Atlanta by a touchdown, had the look of a champion last Sunday when it led the Seahawks, 31-0, at halftime. Brady ran for a touchdown and threw for two more in the win, completing 17 of his 28 passes to Gronkowski and Edelman, with Edelman leading in receptions with 100 yards and Gronkowski scoring two touchdowns. We all know they’re a predominantly passing team.

Broncos safeties Darian Stewart and T.J. Ward were hurt in the game. It’s never really been broken down. “We already were talking about that as a group of receivers that we dont want to just go out there and work on our drops weve had. The better team usually wins if it doesn’t beat itself, and that’s something New England rarely does.

Who you got, the New England Patriots or the Denver Broncos?

Both have defined a pass-happy era, occasionally bumping heads in the playoffs like they’ll do once more, perhaps for the final time, at Denver’s Sports Authority Field. Defeating the Patriots is one more step toward the ultimate prize for the Broncos, and one step closer to National Football League immortality for Manning. This time, they sport the league’s No. 1 defense.

So on offense it’s about Manning not making mistakes. Broncos’ roster contains 45 players who’ve appeared in combined 206 playoff games…. Manning not having turnovers is a start, but it has to come with a defense that disturbs and slows down the Patriots. Rob Gronkowski almost missed last week’s game with knee and back issues, while Julian Edelman played for the first time since breaking his foot on November 15.

Terrell Davis, John Lynch and Steve Atwater, the three Denver finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s induction Class of 2016, will serve as honorary captains for the AFC championship game.

RECEIVERS OR RETRIEVERS: After dropping seven passes in windy weather against Pittsburgh, Broncos wide receivers found themselves running the “gauntlet” drill, catching rapid-fire passes from their left and right, a staple of the NFL’s scouting combine.