Broncos vs. Patriots: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2014 Regular Season

For the 16th time, two of the best quarterbacks ever in Tom Brady and Peyton Manning squared off Sunday.

Debates will rage on about which signal-caller is better, but in Week 9, Brady's New England Patriots dominated the Denver Broncos in a resounding 43-21 victory at Gillette Stadium; the team highlighted the victory via Twitter:

Bleacher Report's Jason Cole has an idea about how Patriots fans regard the great QB discussion:

Darren Rovell of ESPN observed how unstoppable Brady has been within the conference in Foxborough:

ESPN's Field Yates noted just how accomplished Manning and Brady have been ahead of Sunday's showdown:

NFL.com's Gil Brandt shared this statistic:

Windy conditions partially dictated the game. Around The NFL observed how that affected the QBs:

After the Broncos had a 7-3 advantage through one quarter, New England drove to a field goal within the first minute of the second. Then Manning didn't see Rob Ninkovich slip underneath a deep crossing pattern, resulting in an interception.    

From there, Brady, who wound up with 333 yards passing and four scores, drove 34 yards in just four plays, capping it with a five-yard touchdown strike to Julian Edelman.

Manning (34-of-57 passing for 438 yards, two TDs, two interceptions) was under pressure far more than Brady, as the Patriots pulled off a number of well-executed stunts and were exceptional on the back end. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller praised New England's defensive game plan:

The cornerback tandem of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner kept Manning and Co. in check when it mattered most, aiding New England's effort to build a big lead.

Louis Riddick of ESPN was keen to comment on that:

The Pats offense was firing on all cylinders, thanks to Brady and some great pass protection, neutralizing the Broncos' bids to move "Tom Terrific" off his spot, an assessment Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com noted:

But the most momentous play came on special teams, courtesy of Edelman's 84-yard punt return with 8:11 left in the second quarter, a play the NFL shared via Twitter:

A clutch two-minute drill timed to perfection saw Brady hit running back Shane Vereen for his second TD toss with only eight seconds before the halftime intermission.

Once the hosts had built a 27-7 lead, the game may as well have been called based on history, per ESPN Stats & Info:

But of course, circumstances are always a little bit different with Manning on the opposing sideline.

Brady had a tipped pass picked off by rookie first-round pick Bradley Roby on the first possession of the second half. The error was rare, as the Patriots' official Twitter account observed:

Manning wasted no time getting Denver into the end zone thereafter.

Broncos tight end Julius Thomas picked a heck of a time for his first catch, hauling in a beautiful pass from Manning just across the goal line for an 18-yard scoring reception, cutting the deficit to 27-14.

Director of AFC Football Communications Jon Zimmer highlighted Thomas' incredible accomplishment:

New England responded with a field goal the next time it had the ball, as Stephen Gostkowski booted a 45-yarder through the uprights.

After the ensuing kickoff, former Patriots star and current Broncos receiver Wes Welker was crunched in the back attempting to snag the ball. Browner caught the ricochet for Manning's second INT. Football Outsiders' Aaron Schatz weighed in on the home team's kind fortune:

On the next play from scrimmage, Brandon LaFell got inside on a slant, and Brady zipped it into the tight window for a 10-yard TD.

The Broncos responded this time when Manning dumped it to Ronnie Hillman, who took it 15 yards to pay dirt with 5:50 left in the third, keeping the game a two-possession battle.

Superstar Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski then made his massive presence felt with a sensational one-handed catch, which got him down to the Denver goal line. Skip Bayless of ESPN noted the mismatch he created on a subsequent one-yard TD grab:

Peter Schrager of Fox Sports provided an interesting statistic after the latest Gronkowski score:

Brady and Gronkowski have been borderline unstoppable recently, as ESPN's Jeremy Lundblad pointed out toward the end:

This shootout lived up to the hype, even though it was a one-sided result. Both offenses aired it out amid testing conditions, as both running games were virtually nonexistent.

Longtime NFL coach Norv Turner discussed before the game how Brady and Manning could have many more duels like it on the horizon.

"I don't know what stops them, because they are protected better now in terms of the rules, they're protected in terms of their schemes," Turner said, per USA Today's Tom Pelissero. "As long as they keep wanting to play, I think guys will play a lot longer."

Those who take pleasure in witnessing football greatness certainly wouldn't mind seeing the two trade throws time and again—perhaps in the postseason.

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Sunday's game loomed large in the playoff picture, with the Broncos (6-2) atop the AFC West and the Patriots on their familiar pedestal in the East.

But the going doesn't get easier for New England in the near future, looking at the schedule, provided by ESPN's Ashoka Moore:

The Patriots (7-2) have the benefit of a bye week before Week 11's Sunday night clash with the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. That will be yet another amazing duel to witness between Brady and perhaps the game's best young QB at the moment in Andrew Luck, Manning's successor in Indy.

One silver lining to Denver's loss is that its next contest is a short road trip to Oakland to take on the Raiders, who are still winless on the 2014 season after falling to Seattle 24-30 on Sunday. The upcoming matchup is a great bounce-back opportunity for the Broncos to build morale, gain a game in the division and continue the pursuit of the AFC's No. 1 seed.