While Brady remains as good as ever, Manning is clearly in his twilight.
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“This game is going to be a classic”, says Patriots fan Steve Fullerton. Gronkowski has been nursing back and knee injuries, but he was not limited in the win Saturday and he caught two touchdown passes.
“Obviously, we were all disappointed with the way that game played itself out”, special teamer Matt Slater said this week as he prepared for the rematch of the November 29 game that Denver won, 30-24, in overtime. Brady, in one game has thrown for three touchdowns. The home team has covered the point spread in the last six meetings of these two.
Tip your cap to Peyton Manning, even if his arm strength might be the worst in the National Football League, which was one of the reasons why the Broncos dropped so many passes against the Steelers. Manning did look pretty solid in the Divisional round against Pittsburgh. Manning finished the drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Owen Daniels. 21/37 doesn’t sound that great but, watching the game, you saw that his receivers just couldn’t hold onto the ball, piling up seven drops.
Their rivalry – one they hesitate to discuss – has achieved a mythic status akin to Larry Bird against Magic Johnson. All of them were thrilling.
Brady vs. Manning has a different feel to it all of a sudden. The Patriots are seeking their ninth conference title and, eventually, their fifth Super Bowl during the Brady-Belichick era.
It could be the final time we see Tom Brady and Peyton Manning go head-to-head on a football field – but who will leave Mile High Stadium with the bragging rights and a place in Super Bowl 50? But, it’s how Brady will do it that makes the difference. “We’ve helped him have a lot of those guys, but Edelman sure fits in that mold”. Both teams are missing key players in the secondary, Charles Tillman for Carolina, Tyrann Mathieu for Arizona. He’s staying late after practice to catch passes and studying extra film, just to get a better grasp of the complicated offense. The Patriots trailed by 14 twice against Baltimore and came back to win.
Providing bulletin-board material for the defending Super Bowl champions probably isn’t a good idea.
The Broncos have taken a few public and social media swipes at Brady and Gronkowski in recent days, most notably saying that the Patriots quarterback complains often to the referees, and that Gronkowski is notorious for using his frame to push off.
Whoever wins the turnover battle will ultimately win this game, unless of course, you have Tom Brady on your sideline. If he and Brady get going, it could be a long day for the Broncos defense. Let’s face it, Peyton Manning isn’t what he was ten years ago, and he never will be again.
Brady’s quick release could negate the threat of OLB DeMarcus Ware and OLB Von Miller, but Denver can also pressure inside via the DE duo of Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe.
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The Broncos had trouble running the ball early in the season, but once their O-line jelled and the running backs adjusted to coach Gary Kubiak’s zone-blocking scheme, things started to come together. The reason why they have team doctors and trainers is so that players can keep playing no matter what they are dealing with, according to Newsday.
