Broncos vs. vs. Patriots: Keys to a New England Victory in the Divisional Round

It's been four years since the New England Patriots have won a playoff game, as Bill Belichick's team is currently riding a three-game playoff losing streak while losing the last two playoff games at home.

I can assure to you that Belichick and the Patriots plan to end that this Saturday night as they prepare to take on Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos.

In order for a Patriots victory this weekend, Belichick's team needs to do the following: 

Make Tim Tebow Play Like a Traditional Quarterback

When these two teams met back in Week 15, New England did a pretty good job at preventing Tebow from rolling outside of the pocket and forced him to play like a traditional passer, as they escaped Denver with a convincing 41-23. 

Tebow is best when you play him like an option quarterback—that's how he was so successful in college with the Florida Gators, and that's why he was able to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tebow may not be a great passer, but he can beat you with the deep ball, and that's exactly what he did against Pittsburgh, as they time-and-time again stacked the box and begged Tebow to throw it deep. 

What New England has to do is play a lot of zone coverage, less man-to-man coverage on the outside and they need to force Tebow to step up into the pocket rather than rolling outside of it. 

Scores Points Early and Often

Over the past few games, New England has been starting off rather slow on offense, and they're really fortunate that they did not lose any of those games—that needs to end Saturday night.

The Patriots need to make Denver play from behind, they need to force Tebow to throw the ball by building up such a large lead that it's nearly impossible to overcome. 

Tom Brady needs to get going early and he needs to get the ball to whoever is open—whatever Denver gives you defensively, Brady needs to take advantage of it. He cannot be forcing passes to Rob Gronkowski or Wes Welker. 

Establish a Running Game

Whether it's BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Stevan Ridley or Danny Woodhead, a running game would be extremely beneficial for the Patriots. 

If they do build a large lead, then they need to be able to run the ball and ultimately chew up the clock and keep Tebow and Denver's offense off of the field. 

Protect Tom Brady

This is a no-brainer—if Tom Brady is being hit and having to deal with constant pressure with defenders crawling around his feet, he will struggle.

New England's offensive line needs to do a solid job at preventing Denver's pass rushers like Von Miller and Elvis Dummervil from putting their hands on Brady. 

Prediction: New England 42, Denver 24

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