The New England Patriots face off against a familiar opponent when the Denver Broncos come to Foxboro on Sunday afternoon for a re-match of the AFC Championship Game participants of 2013. Kick-off is slated for 4:05 p.m. and the early weather reports call for rain and snow showers for the game.
The Broncos have made the trip to Foxboro the past three seasons and last year the teams met twice, once in Foxboro in November and in Denver for the AFCCG.
The Patriots (6-2) have won four in a row during which time they’ve averaged 39.5 points per game as the offense has begun to operate at a high level. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have been hot in the last month. Brady in the month of October threw 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Gronkowski was unstoppable against the Bears on Sunday, catching 9 passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game for dehydration in the 3rd quarter. He was instrumental in the team’s 51-23 drubbing of Chicago on Sunday.
The defense, missing two big pieces in Jerod Mayo and Chandler Jones has been able to shut down opponents passing games with the additions of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. Sunday will be another big test against arguably the most complete team in the league.
The Broncos (6-1) are also riding a four game winning streak and are firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball. They dismantled the San Diego Chargers 35-21 last Thursday night and have had a “mini-bye” similar to what New England had last week before facing off against the Bears. They are rested and remarkably healthy.
Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense is once again the top unit in the NFL, with so many weapons to choose from, it is simply “pick your poison” as they’ve been nearly unstoppable in their first seven games of the season.
Emmanuel Sanders has more than made up for the loss of Eric Decker in the passing game. Sanders has tied for the team lead in receptions with 47 along with Demaryius Thomas and coupled with Julius Thomas, Wes Welker and Ronnie Hillman the Broncos offense has the ability to create mismatches all over the field.
All-time History: This will be the 49th meeting between the two teams dating back to 1960. Denver leads the all-time series 28-20. The Broncos have played the Patriots at four different venues in those games, Nickerson Field at BU, Fenway Park, Schaffer Stadium and now Gillette.
New England at home leads all-time with an 11-9 record including a playoff win in 2011. The teams met twice last year with each team winning at home, however the game in Denver was for the AFC Championship and vaulted the Broncos to the Super Bowl.
As part of the lead-up to the game on Sunday, we’ll have a detailed breakdown of the matchups later in the week, but here are Five First Impressions of the Broncos:
Defense Much Improved: The Broncos were aggressive in free agency this past off season and the team went out and vastly improved their defense. The team signed former Patriots CB Aqib Talib, Safety T.J. Ward and DE Demarcus Ware and all three have played significant roles for the Denver defense.
The Broncos are the top team in the league in rush defense, allowing only 72.4 yards per game. The Denver front seven is consistently winning the battle at the point of attack. Look no farther than last week’s game against the Chargers, six of San Diego’s first 15 plays went for negative yardage.
One under the radar player to watch is LB Brandon Marshall, a practice squad player a year ago, Marshall is fast, athletic and makes plays all over the field. He made 10 tackles a week ago against the Bolts.
Sanders Thriving In Mile High: One player that has been fun to watch this season has been WR Emmanuel Sanders. After spending the first four years of his career in Pittsburgh, Sanders has taken off in his first half-season with Denver.
Sanders’ best season came last year when he caught 67 passes for the Steelers, he’s already caught 47 (tied for team high) for 634 yards and four touchdowns. With so many weapons on the offense, whenever Peyton Manning sees Sanders in single coverage, he looks his way and the results have been a big positive for the Broncos.
Sanders was nearly a member of the Patriots as the team had signed him to an offer sheet in 2013, but at the time he was a restricted free agent and the Steelers matched the offer. With the team losing Eric Decker in FA to the Jets, Sanders has more than made up for his loss with an impressive start to 2014.
Ware/Miller Tandem One To Watch: The Broncos pass rushing duo on the outside of DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller is a key matchup this week for both teams to monitor. Ware, 32 is finally healthy after a series of injuries in Dallas and has been rejuvenated opposite the ever dangerous Miller. The two have combined for 16 sacks thus far in 2014.
These two will be especially interesting to watch as the New England offensive line which struggled earlier in the season, was vulnerable to speed rushers on the edge.
Manning Keeps Firing Away:Peyton Manning has led the Broncos offense to nearly 400 yards and 32 points per game in 2014, like fine wine he just keeps getting better with age. Manning recently passed Brett Favre with his 509th TD pass and now owns the NFL record and his numbers continue to grow.
Manning finished October on a hot streak completing 100-141 (70.9%) for 1320 yards, 14 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions for a QB rating of 127.4. He always provides a tough matchup for the Patriots and Bill Belichick and Sunday will be no different.
Hillman Matchup One To Watch: Since replacing Montee Ball as the starter in the Bronco’s backfield, Hillman has brought an element of speed along with Sanders to the Denver offense that has made him very effective.
Not the biggest guy at 5’10, 195, Hillman uses his speed to slash into the smallest of openings and break into the open for a big gain. His running has really given the Broncos the balance they’ll need in January when the playoffs start.
Look for Hillman to get a lot of looks against New England this week, as they’ll probably play a lot of nickel and dime coverage trying to slow the potent Denver passing game.
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