shatch62

I think many of us – NE fans as well as national media – have underplayed how good the Broncos are.

They went 8-0 at home, have a great running game and an abundance of speed on D.

Earlier in the year the Pats were torched by Denver early then held on to win 28-20.

That being said the Pats have a very good chance of winning this game.

While most people say that the first game was not as close as the score indicated, if you look at what happened it was closer than people believe.

The Pats outplayed the Broncos in the first quarter but having no running game – Amos Zereoue was the feature back early – killed the Pats.

First Drive the Pats got out to midfield all on the arm of Brady. Zereoue had 2 carries for 3 yards.

Denver went 3 and out.

Pats took over for their second drive at the Bronco 43. Brady had one competition, there were 3 carries - 2 by Zereoue for 4 yards and 1 by Pass for 0. Pats stall at Den 21 and settle for FG.

Denver next series – 1 first down and then punt.

Next NE series – Brady to Branch for 19, 15-yard penalty on Den, Zereoue for 0, Brady to Pass for 7, incompletion then punt.

Denver got the ball back, 1st quarter ended then everything went to hell.

Give the Pats any type of running game at all and this game could have been 10-0 New England earlier.

I know Dillon has looked average – at best – but with him and Faulk the running game should be better.

As for the defense, Starks was brutal and Sanders was getting his first start at SS. Seymour was out as was Tedy B. While the D might have been playing scrubs for the last month of the season they played 2 playoff teams – TB and Jax – and outscored them 56-3. This has to mean something.

Do I think this will be an easy win for the Pats? No. Do I think they can go into Denver and beat a very good Denver team? Hell Yeah!

dryheat44

I hate it when I read this expression. Non-sensical. Here's what I wrote at another site that rattled that "Wasn't that close" Garbage. Let me say I was at Invesco that day, and all the Broncos fans sure were nervous for a game that wasn't close.

Here’s a Pet Peeve of mine:

The Broncos played their typical game against the Patriots in Week 6, earning a 28-20 win that wasn’t that close.

Well, that’s just wrong. It would be correct to say the Broncos seriously outplayed the Patriots. It would be correct to say that the Broncos were in control of the came for 2 1/2 quarters. It would be correct to say that it was a 28-20 game that shouldn’t have been that close. But the game actually was that close.

It’s not like the Pats scored a meaningless touchdown on the last play to cut a 17 point deficit to 10. The Pats got down early, and came back. If not for an egregious dropped pass on the part of Givens, New England is lining up for the tying 2-point conversion with less than three minutes left.

You could argue that the final score isn’t indicative of the way the teams’ played. You cannot argue that the game from a won-loss perspective wasn’t every bit as close as the final score indicated. The game came down to Denver needing a defensive stop deep in their own territory, and then getting two first downs on their final drive to run the clock out. In my book, that’s sweating out a win.

__________________
When it's third and 10, you can have the milk drinkers and I'll take the whiskey drinkers every time. -- R.I.P. Max McGee

PATSNUTme

Shatch62, your first sentence is wrong. No one here on this board, that I know of, is underestimating Denver.

Denver is a very good team. It will be a physical and close game. However as a Patriot fan my confidence is growing each day. Not just because of the players that will play in this game that didn't play in the first. But because BB and the staff will come up with a game plan that will help those players win.

Denver has a good coaching staff but I think ours is better.

PatsWorldChamps

If givens hadnt dropped that wide-open pass (for major yardage), the pats might have been able to force OT.

That's without the top 2 RB's, allpro DL, #3 WR, the heart of the defense, and basically a new secondary.

Watch for jake the mistake to return to his old ways under the crippling pressure of playoff football

dryheat44

Furthermore, yes the Broncos outplayed us, and the right team won that game.

However....

Relying on multiple 55+ yard plays to beat an opponent is a fool's errant. Pretend that the Broncos won in October, with the Patriots fumbling the ball eight times with Denver recovering all of them.

Would you actually use that game, with such circumstances that are incredibly unlikely to repeat themselves, as a basis to claim Denver's going to win Saturday?

__________________
When it's third and 10, you can have the milk drinkers and I'll take the whiskey drinkers every time. -- R.I.P. Max McGee

bombquixote

It's folly to equate 55-yard offensive gains with fumbles. Fumbles are luck. And although there may be luck involved in those offensive gains, they require planning, practice and execution--they are 100% intentional. They weren't accidents. Something in NE's defence made Denver's coaches decide NE was vulnerable deep. They gave it a heave and lo, they were correct. Multiple times. That's not foolish; that's winning the friggin' game.

BusterTBronco

The game wasn't that close.

We exposed your team for the frauds they are.

But congrats on "closing the gap" against our prevent defense to make it 28-20. Hopefully that will give the Patriots a false sense that they were actually in the game.

The Broncos will come out of the gate and shellshock this Pats team. We will attack the gimpy Bruschi and force Belli to take him out da game! Then we will pound you into submission with our dominant running game.

Pats_Bryan

Don't forget to dive at a few knees while you're at it. "Class" of the AFC.

coltshater

What postion will you be playing?

BusterTBronco

That's right "Pats Bryan". The Broncos are the CLASS of the AFC.

(and, after the game on Saturday, you'll know it!)