Five Key Matchups: vs. Patriots
These five individual matchups could go a long way in deciding who comes out on top on Sunday between the Broncos and Patriots.
In a game between these two teams, it's impossible to find a matchup better than this. Both Tom Brady and Von Miller likely remember the 2016 AFC Championship in which Miller finished with 2.5 sacks and an interception en route to a victory — and both players may be even better now.This time around, Tom Brady heads into Sunday's game as an MVP favorite once again. He's thrown for 2,541 yards, 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions as the Patriots sit atop the AFC East at 6-2. And coming off a bye week, the 40-year-old is guaranteed to be fresh and ready to continue on a path toward the postseason. But Miller and Co. will try to ensure his performance resembles last year's. Brady was ineffective at times against the Broncos in 2016, and while Miller didn't record a sack on Brady, Denver's defense applied constant pressure. With Shane Ray back in the lineup, the Patriots may not be able to give Miller the attention he deserves. And that could set up the Super Bowl 50 MVP for a big evening.
Everyone reading this probably remembers the last time Brock Osweiler suited up in a Broncos uniform against the Patriots as the starting quarterback. If you don't, here's a refresher: After falling behind 21-7 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Osweiler helped lead a stunning comeback victory in overtime on a snowy Sunday night.Snow isn't in the forecast for Denver this Sunday night, but should Osweiler recapture the magic that helped him take down the Patriots in 2015, Sports Authority Field at Mile High will be rocking again.
In spite of the season-ending injury to Julian Edelman, the Patriots' passing attack has largely not missed a beat because of the addition of wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Cooks, who arrived in New England after an offseason trade, has emerged as the Patriots' most productive receiver with 563 receiving yards on just 33 catches for an impressive 17.1 yards-per-reception average. After last week's humbling game against the Eagles, Chris Harris Jr. and the rest of the "No-Fly Zone" will surely be itching to shut down Cooks and Co. to remind the league that their Week 9 performance was nothing more than a bad day.
Few players in the entire NFL present matchup problems on a regular basis like Rob Gronkowski. He's tall and physical, and if he gets a clean break on his route, he has the speed to match defensive backs. Simply put, Gronkowski can be a nightmare for any combination of safeties, linebackers or cornerbacks that are tasked with covering him. Keeping him from making big plays is a huge challenge, but Justin Simmons must limit his opportunities and break up whatever passes he can that come Gronkowski's way, or it could be a long day.
If the Broncos are to take down New England, they'll have to gash a Patriots passing defense that ranks last in passing yards allowed per game and 31st in passing yards allowed per play. But they've been improving as the Patriots have marched past their early woes, and Demaryius Thomas will have no cakewalk ahead of him battling against a Pro Bowl cornerback in Gilmore. The Broncos will need Thomas to come up with more big plays to carry the Broncos to a win.
