Pats vs donks

patchick said:

Total honesty here: I find myself a wee bit bored by the prospect.

It sounds crazy, I know. But a little voice in the back of my head keeps whispering "We bothered playing an entire season just to install Brady and Manning in the AFC Championship game? Which felt inevitable before the season even began?"

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I threw up in my mouth a little bit just thinking about having to spend another afternoon listening to Manning bark audibles at the line...

I don't know how the Pats are going to win this game without Gronk. They need another outstanding run performance to have a shot.

PatsFan24 said:

I don't know how the Pats are going to win this game without Gronk. They need another outstanding run performance to have a shot.

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And I think that is a fair concern for sure, and likely why they opened as almost full TD underdogs.

That said, the Broncos have lost this year, along to us in their past 2 games, so they can be beat with the right approach and the right setting.

As always, we'll have to play our best football.

hwc said:

I threw up in my mouth a little bit just thinking about having to spend another afternoon listening to Manning bark audibles at the line...

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But think of it this way...if it's the last time you have to hear those audibles barked out for the season, it will all be worth it

kennyb said:

You can call bs all you want. You have no facts or logic just unsupported suppositions. The effects take days? Absolute nonsense. In days the body is already making more hemoglobin to make up for the lack of oxygen. That's why mountain climbers acclimate. They climb a couple thousand feet and wait for their bodies to adjust. That's how people climb everest or k2. According to you they should just go straight up as they wouldn't feel the effects for "a few days".

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Yeh but your not comparing apples to apples, Denver is at 5K feet not 14k or more, I don't know where you live but people come out here all the time for ski vacations and ski at 8-12K feet. Most of them never experiencing any issues, I know since I worked ski patrol for years. I live at 5K feet, I go to 14K several times a year climbing, you can tell the air is thinner but I have never had an issue with it and by your methodology I would probably be in trouble.

Now as far as O2 on the sideline I know one of the Doc's for the Broncos, he even laughs at it, he does admit that some guys get a benefit but for all practical purposes it has nothing to do with the altitude here, it just has to do with lack of O2 in general, you see O2 on about every sideline these days. by the way you'll see Broncos players using the same O2.

I get why mountain climbers acclimate, i know a little about it from experience, but thats after staying at 12K or above for more than a week or so. I will stand by comment that most people don't feel the "affects" until 48-72 hours, I didn't say the body doesn't start working on it, so lets stick to what I said. Im not saying some guys won't feel it right away but in general a finely tuned athlete will be much less affected than the average person and won't feel the affects during a less than one day event here in Denver.

Anyway I done arguing about it, done commenting on this topic but it will NOT be a factor in the game. I don't care what Champ said, of course he would say that, it is a mind screw, again it won't affect the game and your trying to make it sound that way...this game won't be won or lost due to altitude. Im done with it.

NOTHING would make me happier than a 2004 AFCCG-esque performance.

That is easily my fav non-super bowl Patriot game of all times.

Dominated from start to finish. Defense was incredible and so was Brady with the flu.

PatsFan24 said:

I don't know how the Pats are going to win this game without Gronk. They need another outstanding run performance to have a shot.

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I agree.

the Denver defense is definitely looking better over the last few game, now I don't know if thats partly who they played or what but they look better. I think the Pats can run against Denver but they have been solid against the run all year and I don't see the Pats putting 150 not them easily. Im not worried about Champ as he is old and slow, he didn't look good in the game this weekend nor did he look bad but I can't see him being a factor. If Chris Harris can't go for Denver that could be a problem for them. But we got nothing but short dudes.

I think the Pats O line is light years better than SD, not only protection but run blocking and the Pats run is game is far superior right now. I think that might surprise Denver. I would go out on a limb and say they are the best Running game right now of the teams left.

But this is in Denver, the broncos will be ready to play and they don't fear the Pats at all. Manning is ready for another trip and I have to say while I don't care for him he has been pretty amazing this season and he has the dream team of receivers over there. I think the Pats got lucky earlier in the season and don't expect Denver to turn the ball over three time either.

I think it is going to be close, but I don't see the Pats winning it, Im not trying to be doom and gloom. IM just being realistic. Matter of fact I think what the Pats have achieved this year so far is fantastic. When Mayo and Wilfork and Gronk went down I just couldn't see the Pats in the SB.

Ask yourself this also, does anyone really think the AFC will win the SB this year. Im not so sure, I think Denver or NE have a better chance against Seattle but not so much against the 49'ers. But those defences are both very nasty, and neither Denver or NE has played anything like them this season, well maybe NE against the Panthers.

However this team reminds me of the 2001, 2003 and 2004 teams, no matter what they did no one would really pick them. I doubt anyone picks the Pats this week against the broncos and if by some chance they win they won't be the favourite in the SB. Denver will be the favourite throughout for certain but I still don't think they will wing he SB, both the NFC teams has what ti takes to shut down manning.

obgod3 said:

But this is in Denver, the broncos will be ready to play and they don't fear the Pats at all. Manning is ready for another trip and I have to say while I don't care for him he has been pretty amazing this season and he has the dream team of receivers over there. I think the Pats got lucky earlier in the season and don't expect Denver to turn the ball over three time either.

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Yeah, our interceptions against Manning were pure luck but your three fumbles in the first five minutes of play, including a strip sack on Brady, were all pure Bronco skill, right?

If you remove ALL turn overs from the game, here's something that remains:
The Patriots offense scored on you. Your offense didn't do much scoring against us. Tom Brady lights up the Denver D. Peyton Manning looks confused much of the time against ours.

I know in Donko land the line is "without those turn overs, we dominated the Pats," but here's a news flash for you: You didn't dominate ****.

Compare Peyton's production with Brady's and you'll see you didn't do anything in that game but get extremely LUCKY in the first quarter with 17 points gift wrapped in a bow.

Yes, you ran the ball..... but not in the endzone. Most of your 280 yards of rushing ended in FAILED DRIVES and PUNTS, not points.

Sorry but if you want awe for Peyton Manning, you've come to the wrong board. We've been owning his candy ass for well over a decade now. He's not just mortal against the Patriots, a lot of the time he's downright mediocre.

Try the Jaguar forum or the Raiders forum for that. Maybe they'll think he's scarier than we do and that will be more to your liking.

I think it is going to be close, but I don't see the Pats winning it, Im not trying to be doom and gloom. IM just being realistic. Matter of fact I think what the Pats have achieved this year so far is fantastic. When Mayo and Wilfork and Gronk went down I just couldn't see the Pats in the SB.

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That's funny. During the pre-season, when Seattle's starters were roflstomping your own, you were all saying that without Welker we probably wouldn't even be in the play offs. Now we're coming to the AFC Championship and you don't think we'll see a SB because we don't have Mayo.

You're so adorable.

What should we be scared of the most? The FACT that you've LOST to all the good AFC teams this year in the regular season, INCLUDING US? Or the FACT that Peyton sucks in high pressure games? Or the FACT Brady is 10-4 against him? Or maybe we should be scared of the FACT that Brady makes your defensive coordinator look like an idiot routinely, and that we've amassed about 500 points against you in our last 4 meetings?

Which of those FACTS should worry us most, bro?

Ask yourself this also, does anyone really think the AFC will win the SB this year. Im not so sure, I think Denver or NE have a better chance against Seattle but not so much against the 49'ers. But those defences are both very nasty, and neither Denver or NE has played anything like them this season, well maybe NE against the Panthers.

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I think if the Patriots go to the Winterbowl we'll have a great chance of winning, and it'll be something like a homefield advantage for us, and if Denver's SOFT, NON-CLUTCH, POUTY Peyton team goes the NFC will punch them in the mouth, it'll get ugly fast, and your entire team will wilt like ALL Peyton teams do.

PatsFan24 said:

I don't know how the Pats are going to win this game without Gronk. They need another outstanding run performance to have a shot.

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It's quite simple how we win without Gronk....DEFENSE.

Defense needs to step up big time here and lead us to victory. Defense has been the pitfall of recent Patriots teams and this game is where that changes.

Yes we are decimated by injuries in our front seven, but our secondary is as healthy as they have been all year and our young guys are finally getting it and contributing like we know they can.

Time for the defense to steal the show. Give us just enough of an opening for Tom Brady and his boys.

And just as a general observation, not directed at any poster here, but isn't it really annoying how Donko fans think they know Peyton better than we do?

Most of them have clearly never seen more than.... five games of his prior to him signing with the Broncos. Now they're all experts on Brady v. Manning, how his post season flops were everyone's fault but his, and all the rest of it.

Denver fans trying to tell us anything about Manning is like an Arizona fan trying to tell the Jets about Brady.

We know who Peyton is and how he fairs against Belichick and Brady much better than you all do, believe me.

He wasn't drafted in 2012, and nobody has given the world more Manning faces than we have, so please, for the love of God, Denver fans stop trying to "educate us" on Peyton. You're rank amateurs.

Comparing rosters for this week versus their November matchup:

Donks

J Thomas back - tear
Champ back
Miller out
Harris out?

Pats

Gregory back
Dennard healthier - he was active but very limited, probably shouldn't have been active 1 week after knee surgery
Siliga new
Gronk out - tear.
Spikes gone

Since that time Collins and Ryan have become a bigger part of the defense, for the better. The Pats are overall a much different team at this point relative to the Broncos, who are very similar.

I think winning this game is going to be tough but not impossible.

On offense we are going to have to play mistake free football. We can't afford to turn the ball over and get ourselves in a hole again early. The wind conditions won't be like they were in Foxborough last time around.

We are going to have to run the ball well, but whats more important is how we throw it. I think it's pretty clear that the Broncos are going to go all out to stop the run, and if that happens we are going to have to throw the ball successfully at times. Having someone who can stretch the field on the outside is important as they will be all over the short routes so getting Dobson back would be great.

On defense its unrealistic to think we'll just shut down the Broncos. They will get their yards. If we are going to win we will need to force turnovers. We don't have the explosive offense anymore to overcome losing the turnover battle. If we can force 2-3 turnovers (or 4th down stops) we have a shot at winning. I think we can be competitive against the Denver outside guys but a big part of us winning this will come down to how we defend Julius Thomas and Welker in the middle. If they can keep moving the chains then it'll be a long day. Might be a big day for Collins and Ryan in there.

Finally, those hidden special teams yards will be key so pinning the Broncos deep will be huge when we do punt. Need to see what happens with Ryan Allen. I also think we might see a big Edelman punt return in this game. I think we have a special teams advantage there.

If we play mistake free on offense, grinding out drives taking time off the clock, and force a couple of turnovers we can win.

Talib - D. Thomas
Dennard - Decker (may be my least favorite donkey at this point #douche)
Arrington - Welker
Ryan - Caldwell
Collins - J. Thomas (tough matchup for Collins but they they are very similar athletically)

Patsgofor4 said:

Comparing rosters for this week versus their November matchup:

Donks

J Thomas back - tear
Champ back
Miller out
Harris out?

Pats

Gregory back
Dennard healthier - he was active but very limited, probably shouldn't have been active 1 week after knee surgery
Siliga new
Gronk out - tear.
Spikes gone

Since that time Collins and Ryan have become a bigger part of the defense, for the better. The Pats are overall a much different team at this point relative to the Broncos, who are very similar.

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DRC is also back for the broncos. He missed part of the last game and broncos fans insisted his injury was the reason for the patriots comeback.

NFL hit the jack pot when it came to the best possible Championship games. AFC you have Brady vs Manning, and over at the NFC you have probably the best current rivalry in the game.

I'm calling a Pats-49ers SuperBowl!

Patsgofor4 said:

Talib - D. Thomas
Dennard - Decker (may be my least favorite donkey at this point #douche)
Arrington - Welker
Ryan - Caldwell
Collins - J. Thomas (tough matchup for Collins but they they are very similar athletically)

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I've had a chance to watch more of the Broncos vs. Chargers. Hopefully Belichick will be preaching to our DBs the penchant for comeback routes from the Broncos wideouts. They seemed to be running a lot of those against the Chargers.

Patsgofor4 said:

Comparing rosters for this week versus their November matchup:

Donks

J Thomas back - tear
Champ back
Miller out
Harris out?

Pats

Gregory back
Dennard healthier - he was active but very limited, probably shouldn't have been active 1 week after knee surgery
Siliga new
Gronk out - tear.
Spikes gone
Blount - Entered beast mode

Since that time Collins and Ryan have become a bigger part of the defense, for the better. The Pats are overall a much different team at this point relative to the Broncos, who are very similar.

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"Fixed it for ya."

Chris Harris getting MRI on his knee today. Big loss for the Broncos secondary if he can't go.

Pats need to try and get a fast start on these guys and then they can turn to the run game. 14-0 and 21-7 like the other day would be nice.

The patriots have to out physical and punk the broncos early and often. Bill now has the defense to knock the broncos finesse offense around for 60 minutes like how the ravens, giants, and jets did the old pats offense.

sb1 said:

Chris Harris getting MRI on his knee today. Big loss for the Broncos secondary if he can't go.

Pats need to try and get a fast start on these guys and then they can turn to the run game. 14-0 and 21-7 like the other day would be nice.

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Unfortunately, the broncos fear it's a major knee injury.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/65236/broncos-fear-significant-injury-for-harris-jr