Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots: What Are Experts Saying About Denver?
This Sunday, the Denver Broncos (6-1) are traveling to Foxborough, Massachusetts to take on quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots (6-2).
The Broncos and Patriots have long been AFC rivals, and adding intrigue to this marquee matchup is the longstanding rivalry between Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and Brady.
Dating back to Manning's long tenure with the Indianapolis Colts, the two have met more than a dozen times throughout the past decade, including four times in the playoffs.
Regardless of the rivalry that looms between Manning and Brady, this game is plenty intriguing because it features arguably the AFC's two best teams, and both have been red-hot in October.
Across America, there's going to be a lot of butts on couches this Sunday, enjoying some leftover Halloween candy and a great game of football.
Let's see what the experts from across the country have to say about this fantastic AFC showdown.
Jeff Legwold: Wes Welker May Have His Season Breakout Soon
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Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com wrote on Thursday that the Denver Broncos believe the best from wide receiver Wes Welker has yet to come this season.
Welker, 33, may be past his most dominant days as a slot receiver, yet anyone who watches the Broncos on a consistent basis knows that quarterback Peyton Manning loves to spread the ball around.
Last week, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders had his breakout game as a Denver Bronco, scoring three touchdowns.
Welker may be extra motivated this week as well as he plays his former team. Players tend to step up when playing their former squads, so Welker is definitely one to watch this Sunday.
Kyle Brasseur: Peyton Manning Can't Be Fooled
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Kyle Brasseur of ESPNBoston.com spoke with New England Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich this week, and on Wednesday he wrote how Ninkovich expressed that "you can't fool [Manning]."
He's "like wine," added Ninkovich, "just getting better with age."
Ninkovich has a point. At 38-years-old, Manning is on pace for an amazing 50 touchdowns this season.
The Broncos have a 53-man squad just like every other team in the league, yet it's obvious that the Patriots will be focusing on No. 18 over everyone else this Sunday.
Shalise Manza Young: Tom Brady Has Historically Struggled Against Denver
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Tom Brady will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, yet as Shalise Manza Young of The Boston Globe noted this week, he has historically struggled against the Denver Broncos.
Brady may be 8-3 in the regular season against Peyton Manning-led squads, but he is only 4-5 in the regular season and 1-2 in the postseason against the Denver Broncos.
This is an interesting factoid, yet here's another—.870. That's Brady's winning percentage at home in Foxborough, which is the highest of any quarterback in the Super Bowl era.
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Bleacher Report Experts: It's a Coin-Flip Game
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According to the 16 Bleacher Report experts that were surveyed, this game is a total tossup.
Eight experts picked the Denver Broncos, while the other eight picked the New England Patriots (for those of you who didn't understand what "total tossup" meant).
When you have two great quarterbacks leading two great teams, a tossup is pretty much the only—and best—situation you can get.
Vegas: Denver Wins a Close and High-Scoring Game
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The sharks in Vegas have spoken, and they have listed the Denver Broncos as four-point favorites on Sunday, according to OddsShark.com.
Four points was actually the opening line, and the betting has actually gone in favor of the New England Patriots. The spread is now three points in favor of Denver.
Also telling about Vegas' projection is that they've listed the over/under at 54 points. That is easily the highest over/under of the week, and is an extremely high over/under for an NFL game in general.
Since Vegas always knows best, expect a high-scoring, competitive shootout on Sunday.
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