I can already hear the media hype machines spooling up for this epic rematch. Peyton Manning vs Tom Brady has always been a special matchup. From the debates about who is the better QB of all time, to who is the best QB in the game today. To all the fierce playoff battles and regular season battles that these two players have competed in head to head. What is sweeter than seeing Brady triumph and Peyton making the 'Manning' face?
We had an unscheduled interruption to this epic rivalry last season due to Peyton's neck injury. But after the Colts 'sucked for Luck' and cut ties with Manning, we thought it was all over. But no, we were wrong. Manning made a comeback with the rival Denver Broncos of all teams. And yes Denver is one team that we have a history as well, a heated history, going all the way back to Sharpe's 'calling of the national guard' line because they were 'killing the Patriots'.
A tough playoff loss to the Broncos in 2005, where a near miraculous come from behind tackle by Ben Watson should have resulted in a forced fumble and touchback by the defense but instead resulted in the ball being spotted at the one. Yes, the Pats have an axe to grind with the 'Donkeys' as some fans not so affectionately term them.
So back to Peyton, what has he done so far? He has revived his career and come up with a big win against Oakland to bring his team back into contention for the AFC West. He showed that he still has 'it', throwing for over 330 yards and 3 TDs. The Pats and Broncos both come into this game with an even 2-2 record. However only one can walk away the winner. And the winner of this game will be considered a serious contender in the AFC.
Is this a 'must win' game for the Pats? In a way it is because they are facing a classic archnemesis and they must defeat a top team to be considered among the elite again. Their two wins thus far have been against the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans. Not the most impressive of teams, neither featuring fearsome QBs either. Peyton Manning is going to be considered a 'real' test for the Pats young and recently retooled secondary.
The key to this game will be a story of turnovers in my opinion. If the Pats D can force Peyton to turn the ball over a few times, harrass him at every turn, make him feel uncomfortable in the pocket, they have a real chance at turning this into a blowout win. However if the passrush fails to make PM uncomfortable and lets him take his time he will pick the secondary apart.
If this game turns into a shootout, the Pats still have the offense to compete, so it's not a lost cause. But I would feel much more comfortable if the defense continued their growth and came out with a 'statement' game of their own. If they show they can shut down Manning, they can shut down any QB in the game. So far we have not seen that but I am looking forward to it. Get your popcorn ready folks, the media is gonna have a field day hyping up this game and it's gonna be a good one to look forward to!