Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are looking for another trip to the Super Bowl, but do the fans think he can make it? (Getty)
The New England Patriots. The Denver Broncos. Tom Brady. Peyton Manning. Yeah, this AFC Championship is going to be fun to watch.
But here’s the million dollar question – or at least the one everyone is asking – who’s going to win? Well, step right up and make your picks here. Before you do, though, let’s break down some of the background of this pretty historic matchup. Ready? Here we go.
In what very well may be the last (and 17th overall) Brady-Manning game, the Patriots come into the road tilt as three-point favorites according to OddsShark. In the games where they’ve faced off Brady is 11-5 SU and 9-6-1 ATS against Manning, including 5-1 SU and 2-3-1 ATS as the favorite.
Still, there are reasons to suggest Denver could pull this off and give Manning another chance at a Super Bowl. For one thing, the Broncos have already defeated the Patriots this season with a victory in Week 12. The key for Denver is to get the offense rolling early. That means finding Demaryius Thomas from the get-go and getting the ground game moving as well.
Not enough stats for you? We’ve got a few more for you to make your poll-related decision:
- Manning hasn’t thrown a touchdown in his last 104 passes in Denver, or his last 80 passes in the playoffs for that matter
- Brady has thrown three times as many touchdowns in Denver as Manning has
- The Broncos are 7-2 in conference championships since the NFL merger. The Patriots are 8-3.
- Since 2000, the Broncos are 7-0 in games officiated by Ed Hochuli. He’s officiating the AFC Championship
Alright, so we’ve got the background, we’ve got the rivalry, we’ve got the referee-related stats. So, who have you got? Make your AFC Championship pick here:
The Patriots-Broncos Championship game gets underway at 3:05 p.m. ET and will be nationally broadcast on CBS.