Broncos-Patriots AFC Championship Preview and Pick!!!

Brady vs. Manning. That is all you need to say about the AFC Championship. One QB trying to get an elusive second Super Bowl title and cement his legacy, and the other trying to get a fourth Super Bowl title and take his legacy to another level. You really can’t ask for a better matchup in the AFC. The Broncos and Patriots come into this game wounded on both sides of the ball. Injuries have ravaged both rosters, but with Brady and Manning at the controls this game still has the opportunity to be a classic. For the Broncos, it is a chance to get back to the Super Bowl. They have been there six times in their history, but the last one was 15 seasons ago. A franchise and a QB both are desperate to get back to that big stage. For the Pats, they are looking to get to their sixth Super Bowl in the last 12 years. Brady and Bill Belichick are looking to get that fourth ring which would put them at an all-time level. It should be one hell of contest on Sunday. Here are the reasons why this game and the Pats scare me….

1)    Tom Brady is the number one reason why the Pats are dangerous here. If you had one game to win, you wouldn’t mind putting the ball in Brady’s hands and letting him go win it for you. I actually think the Pats are going to let Brady try to win this game with his arm, and that is very scary for Broncos fans. The Broncos secondary is depleted without Chris Harris, and you know Brady will find a way to exploit that.

2)    Bill Belichick is a great coach, but he is a superb in-game/game plan coach. If anyone will find a way to slow down or stop the Broncos offense, then I think Belichick is the guy to do it. Belichick is just that good of a coach.

3)    The Pats are underdogs in this game. This is their first road playoff game since the 2006 AFC Championship. I’m sure the Pats are relishing the fact that they are the underdog. They are going to thrive on it. That is a very dangerous role for the Broncos to be in: The Pats coming to their house as an underdog. That makes me nervous.

4)    The pressure is all on the Broncos and Peyton Manning. If any team is going to play loose, then I think the Patriots are in this one. They haven’t gotten back to the AFC Championship with a roster that is nowhere near the roster that was configured in the summer. They have suffered injuries to star players, yet they have had guys fill in on defense, and have reinvented their offense and pound the ball on the ground more than they ever had. If they lose, then they will be considered admirable for getting this far. So much of the pressure lies with the Broncos. When was the last time we said that the Pats weren’t facing that much pressure in the playoffs?

5)    I really worry about Denver’s defense stopping the Pats offense. The Pats can run the ball, their offensive line is good and healthy, and Tom Brady is the man. Throw in the fact that Denver is playing without their two best defensive starters in Von Miller and Chris Harris, and I have a feeling the Broncos are going to have a real tough time simply getting Brady and that offense off the field.

Prediction: New England (+5) over DENVER: I just think that at the end of the day, Brady and Belichick will somehow and someway find a way to win this game. Maybe they outscore the Broncos in a shootout, maybe they slow Manning down with their defense, or maybe they catch a break with a turnover or luck bounce. I just have a feeling that the pressure on Manning and the Broncos will get to them, and the Patriots will find a way to get back to another Super Bowl.

Final Score: Patriots-34 Broncos-27

One last thing before I go.....It is so special to get to watch a team like this year's Broncos week-to-week. Every week was fun, exciting, and even challenging. Whatever happens in Sunday's game, I would be really surprised if they didn't play a competitive game. This team has overcome obstacles all year long, and why not overcome another one with Tom Brady and the Pats in their path. I'm proud to be a Broncos fan, and I am proud of this team no matter what the outcome is. Naturally, I'll be devastated if they lose this game, and it will be a scar forever, but it has been a great ride following Peyton Manning and this crew. Go Broncos, and I hope this really is Manning's time once again.