Time: 1:05 p.m. Sunday, KCNC, KREZ, KRSJ 100.5 FM.
Opening Line: Broncos by 6½.
Record vs. Spread: New England, 9-8; Denver, 11-6.
Series Record: Broncos lead 27-20.
Last Meeting: Patriots beat the Broncos 34-31, OT, Nov. 24, 2013.
Last Week: Patriots beat the Colts 43-22; Broncos beat the Chargers 24-17.
AP Pro32 Ranking: Patriots, No. 5; Broncos, No. 2.
Patriots Offense: overall (7), rush (9), pass (10).
Patriots Defense: overall (26), rush (30), pass (18).
Broncos Offense: overall (1), rush (15), pass (1).
Broncos Defense: overall (19), rush (T7), pass (27).
Streaks, Stats & Notes
New England overcame a 24-0 halftime deficit against the Broncos in their overtime victory Nov. 24.
Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick is 7-10 vs. the Broncos.
This game marks the 15th meeting between Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. Brady leads 10-4, including 2-1 in the playoffs.
New England is 7-2 in AFC championship games. Belichick/Brady own the most playoff wins (18) by a coach/QB combo.
This game marks the first AFC road playoff game for the Patriots since the title game after the ’06 season, when the Patriots lost to Manning’s Colts 38-34.
The Patriots are 3-2 on the road under Belichick in the postseason.
Brady’s 18 postseason wins are the most in NFL history. He is 1-1 vs. Denver in the playoffs.
Brady has the most attempts (912), completions (566) and yards passing (6,147) in NFL playoff history.
Last week, the Patriots joined the 1940 Chicago Bears as the only teams in NFL playoff history with 200 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount is the first player to rush for 150 yards and four touchdowns in a playoff game.
Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman had a career playoff-high 84 yards receiving last week. He caught nine passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns vs. the Broncos in November.
The Patriots’ defense had four interceptions vs. the Colts, two by CB Alfonzo Dennard.
Broncos’ head coach John Fox is 1-6 vs. the Patriots.
The Broncos are 6-2 in AFC championship games.
Manning has 5,909 yards passing in the postseason, second most behind Brady.
Manning is No. 1 with eight 300-yard games in the playoffs.
Manning has a 15-3 record at home with the Broncos, throwing 54 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno had a career-best 224 yards in his last game at New England.
With 75 postseason receptions, Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker needs two to move past Thurman Thomas (76) for sixth place in catches. Welker had four catches for 31 yards in the previous meeting against his former team.
Julius Thomas’ 12 touchdowns catches are the most by a tight end in team history.
Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey had a 100-yard interception return against Brady and the Patriots on Jan. 14, 2006.
Broncos defensive end Shaun Phillips had two sacks of former San Diego teammate Philip Rivers last weekend.
Associated Press
