The early game, the Broncos’ win over the Patriots, saw a massive ratings number for what may have been the final chapter of the Peyton Manning-Tom Brady saga. The Broncos defeated the Patriots 20-… Levi’s Stadium will play host to the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos on February 7, 2016.
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“I’ve enjoyed playing on the same team as that defense”, Manning said of his teammates.
“I think once I start to understand American football more, it showed so much how strategic the game is and that’s fascinated me”.
Sunday’s late game, the Carolina Panthers’ 49-15 trouncing of the Arizona Cardinals, was still up 11% over last year’s AFC game (Indianapolis-New England) in the same window. “I think Peyton Manning has some motivation with it, possibly being his last game”.
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. He also is expected to earn MVP honors for the first time, part of a new breed of dual-threat QBs as good at running as they are at throwing.
The superb defenses of the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos will square off in 13 days in Santa Clara, California. “Hide under here”, he said as his son played with the backdrop behind them.
Along with Manning, who was hit just four times and threw two TD passes to tight end Owen Daniels. And look at how excited she was to learn the Broncos won!
But this is a different version of Manning.
First, his interception of Philip Rivers in the waning minutes of the season finale set up Ronnie Hillman’s game-winning touchdown run in Denver’s 27-20 victory that secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
“My role has been different and my contributions are different”, Manning said. Hopefully I have more opportunities for that. The Super Bowl can’t get here fast enough but we all know the wait will be all worth it. “We’re not finished”, Newton said.
The year began with quarterback Tom Brady tarred, then unchained from a suspension on the heels of cheating allegations in the scandal known as “Deflategate”.
“I kept digging us in a hole that we just couldn’t come out of”, Palmer said.
DOMINANT DEFENSES: Both of these teams excel at defense.
Darian Stewart was not the only Broncos safety to suffer an injury during the AFC Championship Game, as the hard-hitting T.J. Ward sustained an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.
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“As an athlete, you just don’t want that to happen”, he said. “We wanted to keep the pressure on”.
