Broncos vs. Patriots: How Can Denver Slow Down Tom Brady and New England?

It's certainly a question with what appears to be a foregone conclusion; can Denver's defense slow down Tom Brady and New England?

No, and we can't expect that to happen either.

That being said, we can determine what The Orange Crush need to do in order to have a chance at slowing down Tom Brady and Co. After all, for the Broncos to have any shot at winning, the defense must show up in a big way.

So, here's what Denver must do to get it done on Saturday and pull off the upset.

Blitz All Day

Tom Brady has had great pass protection all season long and the Broncos are more vulnerable against the pass than run.

Getting pressure on Brady all day is the key. In turn, that will mess up his timing and rhythm with everyone and force New England to run the ball more than planned.

That also plays into the blitz packages, because a good blitz shuts down the opposing ground game along with applying pressure. The less time Brady has to get the ball down the field the better.

None of his receivers can stretch the field, so with limited time in the pocket, those in coverage need not worry about getting burnt deep. Also, the pressure will increase the odds of forcing turnovers, something that must happen in favor of Denver.

Constant Press Coverage

Regardless of who's covering who, Denver must play press coverage more often than not. With the blitz continuously in motion, the Broncos coverage defenders can't allow any room for error by playing soft.

Whether it's lining up and pressing from before the snap or playing soft then rolling down at the snap, this allows Denver to play quite physically. Also, press coverage limits the receivers time in getting open which causes a double-whammy effect with the Broncos blitzing.

Getting that inside leverage on receivers forces Brady to consistently make back-shoulder throws, which are arguably the most difficult in the NFL. The risk involved for Denver, obviously resides in allowing a receiver to slip inside as the middle will be open.

Then again, because of how explosive New England can be, it's a risk the Broncos must be willing to take.

Double-Team Rob Gronkowski

Yes, double-teaming Rob Gronkowski will leave Brady's other targets in single coverage situations. However, as mentioned, if that press coverage can hold up for most of the game then that increases the odds of limiting Gronk.

He's easily New England's most vertical threat and will beat any single coverage situations against Denver. The Broncos only hope is to jam Gronk at the line every single play and then adjust the zone coverage to his route.

If it's man coverage, then a single high safety to help over the top will be needed. What the Broncos must do in this game is force Deion Branch and Aaron Hernandez to beat them instead of Gronkowski.

We know Wes Welker will have a solid game no matter what, but shutting down Gronkowski basically shuts down the majority of New England's offense. Zero in on him and the Broncos can play much more physical in the trenches and on the smaller receivers.

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