The 17th edition of Manning-Brady is set for next Sunday.
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Denver won’t make a secret about how it wants to win the game and advance to the Super Bowl-ride Anderson and an elite defense while controlling the game and asking Manning to only take major chances if the game flow calls for it. At the very least, a win Sunday against the New England Patriots would ensure that Peyton Manning would beat Tom Brady in head-to-head playoff match-ups.
“We can’t wait for no one to make plays for us”.
“I feel for all of us”, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said.
“I’m just happy I was able to help the team, and they were able to punch it in for a touchdown and give us a little bit of a lead at the end”. “We knew they were counting us out”.
The Patriots and Broncos allowed 36 total points in the divisional round, and the over/under for the AFC Championship Game is 44 points.
This matchup was slated for November before Manning went out with a foot injury that pushed longtime backup Brock Osweiler into the starting – and starring – role. The Patriots also lost their final two regular season games, opening the door for the Broncos to capture the No. 1 seed. With the Broncos trailing 13-12 midway through the fourth quarter, on third-and-12 from the Denver 33, Manning threaded a ideal pass to wide receiver Bennie Fowler over the middle, and Fowler turned it into a 31-yard gain.
The Broncos trailed the Steelers 13-12 in the fourth when defensive back Bradley Roby forced a fumble from Pittsburgh running back Fitzgerald Toussaint. This is Manning vs. Brady, a football drama that’s been part of the NFL for 15 years, and one that has ignited more than its fair share of debate over which player is the better quarterback.
It wasn’t pretty, and they only got into the end zone once, but the Denver Broncos are moving on in the National Football League playoffs.
“Everybody understands in the fourth quarter, there’s a sense of urgency, especially when you’re behind”, Manning said. Pittsburgh does a great job of dragging speed guys underneath, usually with some sort of near the fringe of the rules pick, but that’s what they do and it’s hard to prepare for.
Earlier in the third, the Steelers got a 28-yard field goal from Boswell.
“We watched TV and heard all the people saying, no team has won a postseason game without their leading receiver and their leading rusher”, Steelers offensive lineman David DeCastro said. We didn’t force anything and we didn’t give them any short fields. “But when we needed to we put together a big drive to get the touchdown that put us up”.
Pittsburgh played without its top receiver and rusher with All-Pro Antonio Brown sidelined with a concussion and DeAngelo Williams out with an injured right foot…. No, really. Counting his return versus Kansas City, in which he caught 10 balls for 100 yards, the Patriots are 10-0 with Edelman and 3-4 without him.
Manning connected with 21 of his 37 passes for 222 yards. Anderson alternated on key runs to move the chains before Anderson broke through for a touchdown from 1-yard out with three minutes remaining.
“A lot of new things have happened this season”, Manning said.
The Broncos signal-caller played down the significance of what will be his 17th meeting with Brady next week, when a place in Super Bowl 50 will be the prize for the victor.
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With a greater threat under center this time out, look for the Broncos to pull ahead late while riding the calm Manning, who finds himself perhaps worse off than his longtime rival but better reinforced and at home.
