Broncos vs Patriots: X-Factors That Will Determine Outcome of Sunday Night Clash

When the Denver Broncos travel to Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Patriots in Week 12's Sunday night prime-time clash, all eyes will be on the two quarterbacks.

Peyton Manning leads the Broncos' No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL into enemy territory, as he'll look to outscore counterpart Tom Brady, whose arsenal of weapons has experienced a welcome proliferation in recent weeks.

The X-factors that will likely determine the outcome, though, will be members of the two prolific passers' supporting casts as well as some of the defenders trying to stop them.

Let's take a look at some key contributors who are not as prominent in the spotlight yet should serve as important fixtures on Sunday in Foxboro.

Knowshon Moreno, RB, Denver Broncos

The Patriots focused on taking away the run against the Carolina Panthers last week and allowed less than three yards per carry to Carolina's formidable trio of running backs.

Running lanes should open up for Moreno thanks to Denver's outstanding passing game, but it's up to him to capitalize.

Moreno caught 14 passes in his previous two games before being shut out as a receiver in the most recent win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The former first-round pick also was held under three yards per carry on 27 attempts.

As B/R's Aaron Nagler points out, the Patriots have historically had Manning's number:

Manning has thrown 19 interceptions in posting a 4-9 record in head-to-head meetings with Brady:

Thus, it's important for Moreno to establish the run and adequately complement Manning, so he's able to spread the ball around to his viable targets on the outside.

Danny Amendola, WR, New England Patriots

Amendola was New England's prized offseason acquisition and was meant to replace Wes Welker as a dynamic slot receiver. It hasn't quite panned out that way, with injuries being a big reason why.

What better way for Amendola to justify his worth in facing the team that Welker currently plays on?

The Broncos have a bottom-five pass defense, partially due to the uptempo, relentless Denver offense putting points on the board at a blistering pace. It's a good bet Brady will be airing it out often, so Amendola should be ready for plenty of passes flying his way.

After a breakout performance in which he caught four passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in a 55-31 blowout win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Amendola wasn't quite as explosive against the Panthers.

However, six catches for 45 yards on seven targets in facing one of the league's premier pass defenses wasn't a bad effort. A lot of the attention will be on tight end Rob Gronkowski, but Amendola will be the key cog in the Pats' passing game if they're meant to pull this one out at home.

Danny Trevathan, LB, Denver Broncos

In tying for the team lead with three interceptions and leading the Broncos in tackles, it's safe to say the second-year former sixth-round pick has arrived.

Trevathan has proven to be one of the steals of the 2012 draft class and has been a big reason the Denver defense has stayed afloat without Von Miller for much of the season.

Thanks to a key forced fumble and 11 total tackles in the big win over the Chiefs last Sunday night, Trevathan was named one of the players of the game by NBC:

The big assignment for Trevathan will be matching up with Gronkowski in man-to-man coverage, which is something Trevathan has proven capable of doing this year.

Additionally, he will need to check running back Shane Vereen, whose receiving ability out of the backfield gives New England's offense an added dimension that must be accounted for.

That puts a lot of onus on the Broncos' pass rush to get to Brady, but Trevathan has to stick to his assignments and play smart football on the back end. This is a big opportunity for him to step up. Even Luke Kuechly and Co. couldn't hold Gronkowski to less than five catches for 59 yards in Week 11.

Chandler Jones, DE, New England Patriots

Miller's return and Shaun Phillips' brilliant play (nine sacks after just 9.5 in all of 2012) will grab headlines, but Jones is the man the Patriots will count on to get after Manning.

Jones has 9.5 sacks to lead New England. His 6'5", 265-pound frame provides offensive tackles with a nightmarish matchup. The 23-year-old's athleticism can disrupt Manning's passing lanes too.

Over the past five games, Jones has six sacks and is averaging seven total tackles per contest in that span.

It may be one of the quietest rises to stardom in the NFL at the moment, yet it reflects the "Patriot Way" head coach Bill Belichick preaches.

Denver's offensive line played outstanding and didn't allow a sack against Kansas City, who is second in the league with 36 sacks as a team. Between Manning's quick release and the men blocking for him, Jones has his work cut out for him to continue his hot streak.

If he does, though, expect Jones to be deservedly more discussed among the game's premier pass-rushers.