Throughout the week leading up to the AFC Championship Game, sports analysts were swallowed up by the excitement of the notorious Tom Brady and Peyton Manning rivalry. Some managed to point out the real face-off that would be taking place, but others failed to recognize that this game would actually be the New England Patriots against the Denver Broncos. After all, football is a team sport and requires 11 players to be on each side of the ball at any given moment. This is not to undermine the fact that two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time are on opposite sides of the ball in one of the most important games of the season, but it needs to be mentioned that there were other players who had much greater impacts on the outcome of this particular game.
In this case, the defensive players on both sides of the ball played pivotal roles in putting their teams in positions to win or lose the game. Demarcus Ware and Von Miller pressured Tom Brady more than any other defensive linemen that I have ever witnessed. Coming from a Patriots fan, it was excruciating to see how helpless Brady was while barely being blitzed. The front four players on the Broncos' defense were blasting through the Patriots' offensive line like a wrecking ball tearing down a brick building in one swing. Not to mention the coverage the Broncos' secondary provided while the front four were rushing Brady's throws. With no open receivers and little time to get the ball off, the Broncos were giving Peyton countless opportunities to get some points on the board. However, the Patriots' defense managed to keep the Patriots in the game as well, only giving up a total of 20 points throughout the entire game. The Patriots' defense may not have appeared to be as dominant as their opponent's, but they were scrappy and made the big plays when it mattered.
In addition to the defensive domination of this game, the Patriots faced abnormal problems that interfered with their productivity and efficiency. Rob Gronkowski was constantly leaving the field with what seemed to be cramping and difficulties breathing, after all they play on a damn mountain in Denver. Gronk still trucked through these obstacles, making two of the biggest catches of the game, giving the Patriots small nuggets of hope to hold onto in the final minutes of the game. Perhaps the most devastating and uncharacteristic event faced by the New England Patriots early in the game was the missed extra point attempt by Stephen Gostkowski. The first extra point he has missed since 2006 couldn't have occurred in a more crucial game. Who would have guessed that one botched kick would be such a decisive moment in a closely contested game?
Unfortunately, I'm not a true Patriots fan if I don't go on a brief rant. Please excuse my frustration and uncontrollable need to point this out and make an example of it. As many probably know, the Patriots' Microsoft Surface Tablets malfunctioned during the first twenty minutes of the game. These tablets are used to view photos of the formations on previous plays in the game, so it clearly did not play any essential role in the game and probably didn't even alter the outcome of the game in any way, shape, or form. However, I have to highlight that if this were to happen to the Broncos instead of the Patriots, media and fans all around the country would immediately begin to point fingers at the Patriots and paint the image of them as cheaters one more time. As a matter of fact, Jimmy Traina, a Fox Sports journalist, took to Twitter and posted a tweet that reads: "Can't believe Belichick knocked out the wrong team's tablet network." Even when it's the Patriots on the short end of the stick, they are still mocked and made fun of. I guess it comes with the territory of being one of the greatest franchises in the history of the NFL, but it still creates an annoying buzz in the ears of Patriots fans all around the country.
Either way, the Broncos proved that they deserved to win the game and their defense made a statement approaching the Super Bowl. No matter how formidable an offense may be, there is a defense out there that can stop it. The Carolina Panthers will have an opportunity to discredit this statement on February 7th and regardless of the outcome, Super Bowl 50 will be one to remember.
