Patriots-Broncos Preview: Monday Night Should Be Good Despite Teams' Pasts

This time last year, the New England Patriots were rolling over opponents by an average of over 30 points per game. They were on the brink of beating the Miami Dolphins 49-28 to continue their run toward a perfect regular season, shattering records in the process.

And the Denver Broncos? They were coming off of a bye to squeak by the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-28, which would be one of their only seven wins of the season. Everybody was talking about the Broncos' problems, and many experts said it would be a few seasons before the Broncos would be strong again.

It's amazing how much one year can change things.

The Brady-less Patriots are limping into their Monday night matchup with the Broncos after losing to the San Diego Chargers, 30-10. And the Broncos, though they are also coming off of a loss, started the season with three straight wins and a record almost identical to that of the Patriots. This is despite the fact that New England is supposed to have one of the easiest schedules in the league.

The Monday night game promises to be a good one. The Broncos have stronger stats than the Patriots; they have more first downs, more passing yards, and most importantly, more touchdowns. The Pats, however, have Bill Belichick, who is 130-83 and thrives on being the underdog.

If Matt Cassel can lead the Patriots even half of the way Brady could, then the offense has a chance to be spectacular; don’t forget they still have Welker and Moss.

The Patriots need to play their game, especially at home. They cannot afford to lose at home again if they want to make it even close to the postseason, though the Buffalo Bills are still the top of the AFC East.

The Broncos need a win in order to cement their comeback as a team worth watching in the NFL. All I know is, I’ve got my popcorn ready (yes, I’m still making a T.O. reference) for this Monday night, which will certainly not be the blowout predicted when the schedule first came out.