2014 Year in Review: January Edition

Broncos Trump Patriots, Earning Super Bowl Birth

Jan 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) shake hands after the 2013 AFC championship playoff football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

However the Patriots were unable to overcome the powerhouse that was the 2013-2014 Denver Broncos, the team that had one of the best offensives in NFL history and one of the best quarterbacks of all-time Peyton Manning. Both quarterbacks had trouble early on getting points on the board, but it was Peyton Manning who was able to get his team the first points of the game when he was able to find Jacob Tamme to give the Broncos a 13-0 lead. Stephen Gostkowski was able to get the Patriots on the board before halftime, nailing a 47 yard field goal in the final minutes of the first half, but it was clear that the Patriots offense needed to step up in the second half if they wanted to get past Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Denver came out once again in the third quarter piling on another touchdown making it a 20-3 game, and all hope had seemed lost in New England. However Tom Brady did his best Clark Kent impression, throwing for two touchdown passes in the final quarter but that was not enough as the Broncos were able to add on 2 field goals that lead to a 26-16 final score. The Patriots were obviously disappointed by the loss, but considering they were missing Rob Gronkowski, Vince Wilfork, and Aqib Talib who left in the middle of that game with a leg injury, it was difficult for the Patriots to find a way to stop the Broncos on that day.