Patriots vs. Broncos: What to Watch For
The New England Patriots will meet up with the Denver Broncos with a shot to go to Super Bowl 50. What should we be watching for?
On Sunday evening, the Denver Broncos squeaked past the Pittsburgh Steelers and punched a ticked for the AFC Championship game, which they will host at Sports Authority Field next Sunday at 3 PM on CBS.
The last time these two teams saw each other it was when Broncos back-up Brock Osweiler was under center and Tom Brady was throwing to a skeleton crew. The Broncos will have Peyton Manning back in this game and they’ll be looking to come out of the gates strong.
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were looked at as underdogs by some in the Divisional round against the Kansas City Chiefs based off of their final two games. New England rushed out to an early lead and made life tough for the Kansas City offense, while Tom Brady got back into a groove with his (nearly healthy) offense.
It won’t be easy for New England to head up to Denver and win an AFC Title game there, as they lost it two years ago in the same situation. With a majority healthy team back on the field, here’s what to watch for with the Patriots.
Edelman was not present for the regular season matchup between these two teams, and it slowed the offense down immensely. Edelman caught 10 passes for 100 yards in the 20-27 win over the Chiefs. He’s shaken the rust off the rust and gives the Patriots a better chance to start quick.
Julian Edelman helped open up the field for Tom Brady’s receivers and the rest o f the offense. Quick note: Keyshawn Martin was also more productive in this game, and it’s possible with all the attention on Edelman, Gronkowski and Amendola, that he’ll be targeted more.
2. Defense
The Patriots will finally have a healthy defense on the field, with Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower lurking. Collins is the most athletic defensive player the Patriots have, and they can switch him onto anyone which will bother Bronco receivers. Hightower actually played in the first meeting between the two of these teams, but left early with a knee injury.
After his departure, the Broncos running game went wild and eventually won the game for them. With those two back it’ll be tougher for the Broncos to establish the run game.
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It’s also important to note that Logan Ryan and Malcolm Butler will be back in the secondary with safety Jason McCourty coming over to help. The pass rush is also still a threat with Chandler Jones, Jabaal Sheard and Akeem Nicks, who have had a great season as a unit and individually.
3. Running Game
He wasn’t there the first time around, but big back Steven Jackson will come in handy for this one. He wont rip off huge runs given the big guys up front for Denver, but he’ll be important in gaining yards, as minor as they might be. Jackson is due to rip off a big run and it’s possible Denver slips up in this game and he gets the opportunity to be a huge difference maker.
James White has been switched to the Shane Vereen role, which makes him more of a receiver and he’s been very productive since Dion Lewis went down. Bolden has been quiet but shouldn’t be overlooked either. If the Patriots get production out of their running game, Tom Brady will have a much easier night.