Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady. Two of the greatest quarterbacks fighting for a chance to play in the Super Bowl. Brady and Manning have both had very different seasons. Brady had a down year statistically by his standards, but after losing his three top receivers he still guided his team to a 12-4 season, including a win over Denver. Manning led the greatest offense statistically in NFL history. However, he has been known to struggle in the playoffs, losing eleven playoff games in his career. Before last week’s win against the San Diego Chargers, Manning had previously lost his last three playoff games.
While Manning and Brady are the headliners in this game, they will likely not be the deciding factors. Both of these defenses have struggled, mainly because they have been unable to keep their star players on the field. For the Broncos, their best defensive player Von Miller tore his ACL before the playoffs started and last week their top corner back Chris Harris tore his ACL during the game against the Chargers. The Patriots have no sympathy for Denver, losing their best defensive players in Vince Wilfork and OJ Mayo during the regular season.
During their regular season matchup, Denver running back Knowshon Moreno had his best game of the seasons, gaining 224 yards against the beat up Patriots defense. Last week, New England running back LaGarrette Blount rushed for 166 yards and FOUR touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts. This game will likely come down to which team can get their running game going and not the accuracy of their quarterbacks. As a side note to this game, Wes Welker will once again face his former team. During the regular season, it was his mistake that led to the Patriots kicking a game winning field goal in overtime. Look for him to try and make up for his game-costing mistake.
This game has huge historical implications. If Brady makes it to the Super Bowl, it will be his sixth appearance and his chance to win his fourth title. If Manning wins the Super Bowl, he would be the first quarterback to win titles with two different teams. For the AFC Championship, Patriots vs. Broncos- Who You Takin?
