THE FINAL 4
News tells you who will win & advance to Super Bowl 50
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
NO. 2 PATRIOTS AT NO. 1 BRONCOS
3:05 p.m., Sunday, Ch. 2, Patriots by 3, 45
Football fans will get Brady-Manning XVII on Sunday, and as always most of the focus will be on two stars who don’t technically play against each other since they’re both offensive players. Denver had the edge in this same matchup two years ago, and this could be Manning’s last shot at a second Super Bowl title while Brady is in search of No. 5. Which future Hall of Famer will lead his team to Santa Clara?
PATRIOTS’ KEYS TO VICTORY
1. Make Manning throw. This isn’t the same player who tore them up two years ago in the AFC title game. Denver thrives when its offense is balanced. If the Pats make Manning throw 50 times (they made Alex Smith do it last weekend) that will play into their favor. 2. Win the third-down battle. The Pats were just 2-for-13 on third downs against the Broncos during the regular season (without Julian Edelman). The Steelers converted only two of 12 third downs against Denver on Sunday. New England needs better results to have a chance. 3. Limit pressure. Denver led the league in sacks and notched three against Brady in November with nine total QB hits. Against the Chiefs on Saturday, Brady wasn’t sacked and was hit just twice. 4. Use all your weapons. New England’s top three pass-catchers against Denver in the regular season weren’t wide receivers. Rob Gronkowski, Brandon Bolden and Scott Chandler all gave the Broncos fits.
BRONCOS’ KEYS TO VICTORY
1. Catch the friggin’ ball. Drops have plagued the Broncos throughout the year, and they dropped seven passes during Sunday’s divisional round win over Pittsburgh. Manning completed just 21 of 37 attempts as a result. 2. Dare the Pats to run. New England finished the regular season 30th in the NFL in rushing. It had just 39 yards on the ground against Denver during the regular season and 38 yards last week against the Chiefs. 3. Make Edelman a nonfactor. Rob Gronkowski is a matchup nightmare no matter what you do. Give extra attention to Julian Edelman, limit his impact and make another receiver beat you. This task becomes much more difficult if Pro Bowl corner Chris Harris (shoulder) is limited. 4. Keep getting C.J. Anderson his touches. Overall it was a disappointing season for the running back, but he’s put together three straight quality games, rushing for 240 yards on 39 carries and scoring a touchdown in each. His 48-yard overtime touchdown downed New England in November. TASCH’S TONIC: Does Peyton Manning have enough plays left in his beat-up body to get back to the Super Bowl? If his defense does the job, as it has most of the year, he won’t need to carry the Broncos like he’s done so many times before. One of Kansas City’s biggest problems was not getting hands on Brady. Denver surely will do a better job of that. Chris Harris’ effectiveness could have a huge impact on this game. If he’s healthy enough, he can help buy Denver’s pass rush some extra time with tight coverage. It’s hard to ever bet against Tom Brady, especially when he might be wound up after some Broncos trash talk, but the Pats are 0-3 in playoff games in Denver. New England will rue dropping those last two regular-season games and losing home-field advantage.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Broncos and the under