How to stream the Broncos-Patriots game online

Before Manning can get the opportunity to ride off into the Super Bowl sunset, he has to defeat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game. When all was said and done in the Patriots’ 27-20 win, Brady had thrown the ball 42 times and New England had run the ball just 14 times, and six of those carries were by Brady.

In the 2015 season, nearly nothing is the same.

Manning surpassed his boss, John Elway, as the oldest quarterback to take his team to the Super Bowl. In this game, however, the stakes are much higher than they were last time, as the victor of this game will get a chance to compete in Super Bowl 50. Brady holds and 11-5 lead in the series, but it is Manning who has had the edge in their three previous meetings in the Championship game, lifting the Hunt Trophy two times. Their eight appearances are tied with Dallas and Pittsburgh for the most in National Football League history. Yeah, this AFC Championship is going to be fun to watch. LaFell had arguably his best game of the season against Denver, so he will need to do that again Sunday.

So here’s the obvious question: How do they do it? The New England have heavily struggled in Denver Broncos during the Tom Brady-Belichick era. “So, that’s why they’re the best in the league”. This is not a place to debate which quarterback is better. Was that supposed to happen?

“They’ve got a bunch of All-Pro and Pro Bowlers, a nasty good group – a good nasty, football nasty”, said Edelman. While they combined for just nine catches for 125 yards, the fact that they are reliable and consistent targets for Manning is what makes all the difference. If he does win a second Super Bowl ring this season he will owe that entire unit a huge “thank you” because they have certainly covered for the offenses’ failings this season.

Two years ago, Manning threw for 400 yards as the Broncos blitzed the Gronk-less Patriots to reach the Super Bowl. The tight end stepped in front of Chris Harris Jr. for the catch, and the game came down to one play. Brady’s quarterback rating on passes over the middle in 2006 was 84.4.

ESSENTIAL EDELMAN: The Broncos are the only team with a winning record against Brady, who is 2-6 at Denver, including 0-2 in the playoffs. This year, it is 120. But still, this is the No. 1 seed in the AFC and they boast one of the better defenses in all of the NFL.

Questionable: WR Danny Amendola (knee), TE Scott Chandler (knee), LB Jamie Collins (back), S Nate Ebner (hand), WR Julian Edelman (foot), LB Darius Fleming (back, shin), LB Jonathan Freeny (hand), TE Rob Gronkowski (knee, back), LB Dont’a Hightower (knee), DE Chandler Jones (abdomen, toe), DE Rob Ninkovich (shin), WR Matthew Slater (shin), C Bryan Stork (ankle), T Sebastian Vollmer (ankle).

“Brady has had a lot of good slot guys”, Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips said. That’s when the Patriots switched to a pass-heavy offense, something that still stands. In the 10 games he has played, the Patriots have averaged 41.2 passing attempts per game while they averaged 37 passing attempts in the seven games he missed.

“It’s hard to drive the ball 12 (or) 13 plays down the field, because they have so many dynamic players”, Brady said this week. “Has this been the most challenging O-line situation you’ve been in?” Manning had a nice completion on a bootleg pass, which was notable since he hasn’t looked comfortable throwing on the move all season. Neither quarterback played particular well but it was Eason who made the crucial mistake late in the 4th quarter.