Patriots-Broncos Week 9 Matchup Most Important Game on Schedule

The Patriots took a major upgrade to their defense this off season. Now, they are in a prime position to be the best team in the AFC this season.

But of course, reaching that achievement really boils down to one thing – beating Peyton Manning and the Broncos.

First, let’s set a baseline that we can all agree on. I think everyone expects the Denver Broncos to win at least 12 games. For the Patriots to get the number one seed in the AFC, they will probably have to win 13 games or more. And we all know that winning 13 games this season is definitely not out of reach.

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The toughest stretch for the Patriots comes in weeks 9 through 14. The Brady-Manning matchup comes in week 9, which is the most important game in their regular season. With new additions on defense though, hopefully they will be able to defend the Broncos’ high-flying offense this season.

After adding Emmanuel Sanders to the WR depth chart, the Broncos have four main receiving threats for Peyton Manning to throw to. Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, Sanders, and Wes Welker are all legitimate pass-catching options, but the Patriots now have some ways to defend the pass, too. Darrelle Revis will cover Demaryius Thomas one-on-one, leaving Brandon Browner with Julius Thomas and the rest of the secondary with Welker’s tricky slot routes. Those four match ups might not be in the Patriots’ favor, but it will be a major improvement from last year, seeing as we watched them get steamrolled by the Broncos pass-catching offense in the AFC Championship.

“If the Pats can shut down the Broncos’ offense in week 9, they could go into their week 10 bye undefeated”

The Pats have a bye in week 10, then they visit Indianapolis to face off against Andrew Luck and the Colts. Weeks 12 through 14 are all games that they could legitimately lose, as the schedule goes Lions, Packers, Chargers.

The turning point to the Patriots’ season is the week 9 matchup vs the Broncos. Even if they go 8-0 for the first 8 weeks of the season, if they lose against the Broncos, things could start falling apart and they could lose their 1 seed after that with some tough games throughout the next month. But if they can shut down the Broncos’ offense, they could go into their week 10 bye with an undefeated record.

Week nine against the Broncos is without a doubt the most important game for the New England Patriots this season. (Not including any playoff games) We all know they can win their division, and we all know they can reach the AFC Championship. But the real question is – Can the Patriots finally beat the Broncos?

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