Against the Steelers, the Broncos got a patient Manning who knew his defense could help win the game if he played it safe. “We’ll take a couple hours to enjoy this one tonight”. The Broncos’ defence can keep them in the game with a couple of turnovers, but will that be enough? On the ground, CJ Anderson rushed for 72 yards and one touchdown in 15 attempts while Ronnie Hillman added 38 yards in 16 attempts.
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Every favorite won over the weekend, but there was nothing ho-hum about the Divisional Round of the National Football League playoffs. Brady is still at the top of his game, while Manning has struggled to hold on to his starting job this season.
Boston’s Mike Reiss and former Patriots tight end Christian Fauria joined Steve Burton on WBZ-TV’s Sports Final on Sunday night to preview the upcoming AFC Championship Game, and Reiss said with Manning a shell of his former self, he’s no longer the reason his teams win. It’s more likely that Brady and the Patriots score early, forcing Denver to play catch-up.
McManus’ fourth field goal, a 41-yarder with 2:45 remaining in the third quarter, pulled the Broncos to within a point. Manning was out for that one, replaced by Brock Osweiler, but he’ll be back on Sunday to face Brady in what could be his last game against Brady.
With Denver trailing Pittsburgh 13-12 with less than 10 minutes left, cornerback Bradley Roby punched the ball from Fitzgerald Toussaint’s arms and teammate DeMarcus Ware recovered at the Denver 35-yard line.
“That’s really the basis of trying to come up with a game plan and figure out how you want to play a team like that”, Belichick said.
“Fifteen years later, to be a part of 10 of those, I never imagined that any of this was even possible”, Brady said on Monday. “So, I wasn’t nervous at the time, but I knew it would make for an exciting day”. “He didn’t. But like I said, like I said, I read through the bluff…I read through the bluff”.
-Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant filled in admirably for star receiver Antonio Brown, who missed the game with a concussion sustained in the late stages of Pittsburgh’s wild-card win at Cincinnati last week.
Carolina, winners of 12 straight at home, made all the right plays in building a 31-0 lead, then were dominated by Seattle in the second half before holding on for a 31-24 victory to advance to the NFC championship game.
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“The plan for me was to stay focused – stay focused on my job and go out and handle my business”, said Bryant, who also had two carries for 40 yards.
