For the first time in NFL history, two quarterbacks with 150 wins apiece will face off this Sunday when the Denver Broncos head to New England to take on the Patriots. We're talking, of course, about Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, who meet for the 16th time in their careers. Brady holds a 10-5 edge in the matchup, but Manning's Broncos got the last laugh in a 26-16 AFC Championship victory last season.
NFL picks and predictions, Broncos vs. Patriots 2014: Denver expected to win in Foxboro
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady face off for the 16th time on Sunday.
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New England is always a tough team to beat at home. In fact, the Patriots are undefeated in Gillette Stadium over their last 14 home regular-season dates, and Brady has an 87-13 mark at home throughout his regular-season career. Manning will try to earn a victory at New England, a place where he is 2-7 for his career against Brady. Last year, the Broncos took a 24-0 lead at Gillette on a Sunday night only to blow the game, losing 34-31 in overtime.
Broncos vs. Patriots
This game undoubtedly has major playoff implications as well. The Patriots are 6-2 and the Broncos 6-1, the two best records in the AFC. Whoever wins will not only take over the top seed in the conference but also hold the tiebreaker moving forward. Denver plays in the tougher division with the Chiefs and Chargers looming, while New England still has games against the Chargers, Packers, Lions and Colts.
Over at CBS Sports, five of the eight experts believe the Broncos can steal a road win along with covering the 3.5-point spread. Despite the aforementioned home-field advantage, only Chris Mortensen and Keyshawn Johnson are rolling with the Patriots at ESPN. The opinion is fairly split at USA Today, with four of the seven analysts siding with Denver to pull out the victory.
Here at SB Nation, there is no clear consensus. The 4-3 split favors the Broncos, with Joel Thorman, PFT Commenter and David Fucillo picking the Patriots to hold serve.
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