5 Teams That Pose Biggest Threat to New England Patriots' Super Bowl Aspirations

The AFC is open for the taking, but the Denver Broncos pose the biggest threat to the New England Patriots' Super Bowl aspirations. 

Familiar foe Peyton Manning leads the current No. 2-seeded Broncos, who are quietly in the midst of a 10-game winning streak. After sitting out the 2011 season because of neck surgeries, Manning is back to his old tricks and will be looking to add a second Super Bowl ring to his resumé. 

Besides the high-powered Broncos, the playoff-tested Baltimore Ravens and top-seeded Houston Texans both present tough matchups for the Patriots. Baltimore's star-studded defense and versatile offense makes it a difficult playoff matchup for any team, and although Houston has looked vulnerable in recent weeks, you always have to account for superstars like Arian Foster, Andre Johnson and J.J. Watt. 

Provided the Patriots make it through the AFC gauntlet, two NFC teams that the Patriots have already lost to this season stand in the way of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick capturing their fourth Lombardi Trophy. 

Let's take a look at the five teams that pose the biggest threat to New England's Super Bowl aspirations.

1. Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos may not be the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but they are the No. 1 threat to the New England Patriots' Super Bowl hopes. 

Anytime Peyton Manning is involved, that just has to be the case. 

A year away from the game hasn't caused No. 18 to miss a beat. Paired with Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, Manning has posted tremendous numbers in Denver, throwing for 4,355 yards and 34 touchdowns through 15 games games. 

Complementing Denver's high-flying offense is an opportunistic defense that knows how to get after the quarterback. Second-year linebacker Von Miller has established himself as the premier pass-rusher in the NFL with 17.5 sacks, but last year's No. 2 overall pick is also a beastly run defender. 

Bookending Miller is veteran defensive end Elvis Dumervil. The longtime Bronco has racked up 11 sacks and six forced fumbles after failing to force a single fumble in 2011. 

Although the Patriots beat the Broncos by 10 points in Week 5, New England benefited from some fluke mistakes by Willis McGahee to secure the win. 

No team is playing as consistently as Denver right now, and with Peyton at the helm, the Broncos will be the biggest threat to the Patriots' Super Bowl quest. 

2. Baltimore Ravens

Despite a litany of injuries on defense and an inconsistent offense, the Baltimore Ravens are the one team you can never write off. 

Ray Lewis has missed most of the season after tearing his triceps and Terrell Suggs has been limited by a torn biceps, but the Ravens defense always manages to put on a strong performance against Tom Brady. 

With their defensive stalwarts limited, guys like Paul Kruger (41 tackles, eight sacks), Arthur Jones (42 tackles, 4.5 sacks) and Dannell Ellerbe (86 tackles, 4.5 sacks) have stepped up big time in 2012. Ed Reed (16 passes defended, four interceptions) and Haloti Ngata (51 tackles, 5.0 sacks) have maintained their Pro Bowl-level play. 

Offensively, the Ravens are still an enigma. 

Ray Rice remains one of the best backs in the NFL, but he's only carried the ball 254 times as his carries have been reduced from 307 to 291 the past two seasons. 

Joe Flacco continues to frustrate fans who want to believe he's elite, yet the fifth-year quarterback still acts as a game manager more often than a playmaker. 

However, the Ravens are very familiar with the Patriots and can mix in both the run and pass in an effort to keep Brady off the field. With the defense looking like the unit of old in a 33-14 win against the New York Giants last week, the Ravens will be a team to watch out for as the Patriots attempt a Super Bowl return. 

3. Houston Texans

Move over Justin Smith; J.J. Watt has taken the title of the best 3-4 defensive end in the game. 

Houston's 2011 first-round pick is literally unblockable, as his blend of size (6'5", 295 pounds), speed (4.81) and power make him one of the game's premier physical specimens. 

In just his second season in the 3-4 defense, Watt has revolutionized the position. Most 3-4 defensive ends would be happy with six or seven sacks, but Watt has piled up an amazing 20.5 quarterback takedowns in 2012. 

His amazing season has kept the Texans atop the AFC despite the rash of injuries to their excellent group of linebackers. With Brian Cushing sidelined for the year with a torn ACL and Brooks Reed nursing a nagging groin injury, Watt's tremendous play still has Houston in position to be the No. 1 seed. 

Although Houston would be the top seed if the playoffs began today, the Patriots proved they're vulnerable. 

Just two weeks ago the Patriots embarrassed the Texans on Monday Night Football, dropping 42 points on what many thought to be one of the best defenses in the league. 

With Houston's defense taking a clear step back in the second half of the season and with an offense that's built only to play with a lead, the Texans are no longer the top dog in the playoff race, but Watt, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson still make them a tough matchup come playoff time. 

4. Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson has taken the Seattle Seahawks to heights that Tom Brady hasn't done in his 13-year career. 

The 75th overall pick who was thought to be too short to be an NFL quarterback has led the Seahawks to 150 points over their past three games—a mark that not even the 2007 Patriots and their record-setting offense attained. 

Wilson's remarkable precision as a passer and fantastic running ability have Seattle in position to win the NFC West title in the final week. Anyone who watched Sunday night's 42-13 demolishing of the division-leading 49ers understands just how lethal Pete Carroll's team can be when everything is clicking. 

Anchored by one of the game's true work horses in Marshawn Lynch (297 carries, 1,490 yards, 11 touchdowns), a ferocious defensive line and the league's biggest and baddest secondary, the Seahawks are looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender. 

If New England met Seattle in the big dance, it could spell trouble for Brady and Co. The 'Hawks already beat the Patriots this season and are even better than they were in Week 6, when they escaped with a one-point win at home. 

5. San Francisco 49ers

You only have to look at the San Francisco 49ers to understand just how fluid the NFL is. 

A few weeks ago Jim Harbaugh's team looked unstoppable. San Fran's combination of a no-nonsense running game, an athletic quarterback and stout defense made them a Super Bowl favorite. 

Fast forward to Sunday night and it appears the 49ers are on the verge of falling apart. 

With star defensive end Justin Smith battling an elbow injury, San Fran's defense just hasn't been the same since the man named Cowboy sustained the injury against the Patriots. Aldon Smith has disappeared, and the 49ers haven't been able to generate as strong of a pass rush or stop the run as easily as they did with Smith in the lineup. 

As a result, the 49ers nearly collapsed against the Patriots after holding a 28-point lead and did collapse in an epic fashion in Sunday night's 42-13 loss to the Seahawks. 

Despite their recent struggles, the 49ers still remain a threat to the Patriots' Super Bowl hopes. If Smith is able to get healthy, the 49ers defense proved they can apply consistent pressure on Tom Brady and can shut down New England's running game. 

Colin Kaepernick provides an athletic upgrade over Alex Smith, and the second-year QB has the arm to go deep and test the Patriots' secondary. 

San Francisco may not be the unstoppable force from the first half of the season, but the 49ers still make the cut as one of the five teams that pose the biggest threat to the Patriots' Super Bowl aspirations.