Broncos vs. Patriots: 5 Takeaways from New England's 45-10 Win

The New England Patriots' playoff drought dated back to the 2008 season. The way they played against Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos, you'd think it dated back to the 1998 season.

They came out hungry from the get-go, scoring a touchdown within the game's first two minutes. They followed that up by scoring another touchdown after a Tim Tebow fumble—and the rout was on. 

As usual, there's a lot to digest, especially after such a big win.

Here are just a few things to take away.

Tom Brady Took Playoff Losses, Slow Starts Personally

The talk of the town leading into the game was the fact that the Patriots had gotten off to slow starts for much of the season. They averaged just 5.2 points in the first quarter on the season.

They were able to replicate their success in the first game, scoring a touchdown on their first drive. Quarterback Tom Brady threw eight straight completions to start the game and hardly took a second to look back, throwing for six touchdowns on the day, which tied a postseason record.

Getting off to a fast start was key for the Patriots, because it forced Tebow out of his comfort zone.

Facing a 14-0 deficit early put the pressure on Tebow to keep up, and the Broncos offense simply isn't built to do that.

The Tight Ends Are the Heart and Soul of the Offense

If that wasn't evident by now, it was infinitely evident by the end of the first half.

The two New England TEs combined for 10 receptions, 126 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the first half. 

Rob Gronkowski logged the first-half hat trick of touchdowns. On the day, the duo of Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez combined for 200 receiving yards (261 total yards) and four touchdowns.

Hernandez showed his versatility as he ran five times for 61 yards. His 43-yard scamper on the first drive of the game was longer than any run by the league's No. 1-ranked rush offense.

The tight ends will likely be the center of attention for their next opponent, but it's hard to game-plan for two tight ends as versatile as Hernandez and Gronkowski.

Early Lead Spawns Aggressive Defense

The Patriots offense kept the pedal to the metal as they piled on the points, but their defense kept their intensity as well. The Patriots logged 14 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and five sacks on the game, combining for 58 negative yards.

Heck, the Patriots were even able to come up with a goal line stand in the fourth quarter while up by 35 points. So much for "bend don't break." The Patriots defense hardly bent at all on Saturday, giving up just 252 net yards on the day.

The Patriots defense is a different animal when they are playing with a lead, and on Saturday, that animal was a vicious blood-thirsty beast that hasn't eaten since 2008.

Brady Can Punt It, Too!

Yep, up 35 points in the fourth quarter, the Patriots elected to punt it on third down.

Brady executed a beautiful punt that put the Broncos at their own 10-yard line to start their drive.

This isn't the first time Brady has punted it, though. He had a 36-yard punt back in 2003, and on a day in which he set several personal, league and postseason records, his punt on Saturday night traveled 48 yards, marking a new personal best.

Patriots Ride Their First Full Game into the AFC Championship

Whoever heads to Gillette Stadium next Sunday afternoon will be facing a red-hot Patriots team that has now won nine straight games and is finally playing complementary football.

The Patriots offense rolled and the defense executed their game plan beautifully, but most importantly, the team put together what could largely be considered their first full four-quarter performance of the season.

Whoever faces the Patriots next week will surely have their hands full.

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter.