The moment we all have been waiting for. Brady vs Manning. Tom vs. Peyton. The winner vs. the stat maker. The first overall pick vs. the underdog. The…well you get the drill.
It’s the Brady-Manning bowl 16…and it ended in a way that most Pats fans were satisfied with a blowout. An absolute demolition of the so called best team in football was in order.
On to the positives!
Positives:
-When the Patriots needed a play, they always made one. Down 1 with 13 minutes left to play, Rod Ninkovich singlehandedly denied a Denver drive by picking off Manning. If Nink wasn’t there to make the play, I’m not sure NE would have retaliated in any strong fashion.
-When NE needed TDs, Brady and Edelman were there to counter and outmaneuver Denver on every play. Edelman was particularly on fire, racking up 89 yards, a touchdown, and returning his 4th career return TD! (A new franchise record). He provided a much-needed spark.
-Tom, on the other hand,
-Gronk played with an absolute vengeance today, destroying the Denver secondary for 105 yards and a TD of his own. He made an absolutely beautiful catch down the sidelines that would’ve made Randy Moss and Cris Carter proud. He destroyed TJ Ward, the guy that hit his knee and ended his season last year, and embarrassed him to no end.
-THE DEFENSE. They played absolutely rock steady, holding Manning to 2 picks and holding both Hillman and Anderson to 34 yards. The Revis Browner combo is the best corner tandem in the league right now, and that allows the front 7 to stack the box and blitz and make Peyton very uncomfortable. The two physical corns have been a boon for the Pats, and will be a big reason why they make a deep playoff run.
Negatives:
-It is very unsettling to see the Pats unable to power run, and they’re going to need it in the playoffs. They can’t rely on defense and Brady to win late, so someone has to step up and take over.
Great game by the Pats, destroying an AFC contender at home.
It’s the Brady-Manning bowl 16…and it ended in a way that most Pats fans were satisfied with a blowout. An absolute demolition of the so called best team in football was in order.
On to the positives!
Positives:
-When the Patriots needed a play, they always made one. Down 1 with 13 minutes left to play, Rod Ninkovich singlehandedly denied a Denver drive by picking off Manning. If Nink wasn’t there to make the play, I’m not sure NE would have retaliated in any strong fashion.
-When NE needed TDs, Brady and Edelman were there to counter and outmaneuver Denver on every play. Edelman was particularly on fire, racking up 89 yards, a touchdown, and returning his 4th career return TD! (A new franchise record). He provided a much-needed spark.
-Tom, on the other hand,
-Gronk played with an absolute vengeance today, destroying the Denver secondary for 105 yards and a TD of his own. He made an absolutely beautiful catch down the sidelines that would’ve made Randy Moss and Cris Carter proud. He destroyed TJ Ward, the guy that hit his knee and ended his season last year, and embarrassed him to no end.
-THE DEFENSE. They played absolutely rock steady, holding Manning to 2 picks and holding both Hillman and Anderson to 34 yards. The Revis Browner combo is the best corner tandem in the league right now, and that allows the front 7 to stack the box and blitz and make Peyton very uncomfortable. The two physical corns have been a boon for the Pats, and will be a big reason why they make a deep playoff run.
Negatives:
-It is very unsettling to see the Pats unable to power run, and they’re going to need it in the playoffs. They can’t rely on defense and Brady to win late, so someone has to step up and take over.
Great game by the Pats, destroying an AFC contender at home.