Pats Preview: Pats @ Broncos

As the New England Patriots head into their Week 12 match up with the Denver Broncos, here are some thoughts to consider:

The End Of An Era- With Denver quarterback Peyton Manning sitting out for the second straight week do to a combination of horrendous play and a plantar fascia injury, it appears that the end of the classic Brady vs. Manning battles is among us. Barring a potential playoff match up, this could spell the end of one of the top rivalries in the history of the game. While New England quarterback Tom Brady, still looks to be at the very top of his game and is a much more than capable passer, it appears that father time and a string of injuries have finally caught up to Manning and could very well be bringing an end to his career in the near future. So what could have been the seventeenth time these two would have linked up since 2001, now becomes the first time Brock Osweiler will play as Brady's counterpart. The edge is clearly with Brady, regardless of the injuries New England is dealing with.

On The Road Again- The Patriots head out on the road again, after being home last week against the Buffalo Bills. Playing in Denver is never an easy task for any visiting team as the change in altitude can cause players to slightly adjust how they play and can potentially drain players of their energy faster. This is the type of game that championship teams win; on the road, in a hostile environment, against a strong defense, in prime time.

And Then There Were Two- With the loss of Aaron Dobson (IR/high ankle sprain) and Danny Amendola (Inactive/knee sprain), the Patriots have just two healthy true wide receivers left on the active roster; Brandon LaFell and Chris Harper. The two targets will need to step up against the talented secondary of Denver and they'll have to get help from tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Scott Chandler. Number two tight end Michael Williams, who plays a majority of his snaps in blocking situations might not be ready to go for the game, as he tweaked his knee in practice this week. Keshawn Martin, who has been out the past four weeks with a hamstring injury, could also add a boost if he's healthy enough to return to the field. He has the ability to play both outside and in the slot, so his ability to play will be a big factor, but for now he's a wild card because of his inability to play for so long. The team is expected to call up practice team standout Asante Cleveland, a tight end they acquired from San Francisco this preseason, to help fill the void. Don't expect the team's special teams captain Matthew Slater, who is listed as a wide receiver, to play much on offense. A couple of plays isn't out of the question, but he is far too valuable to multiple special teams units to play a big role on offense.

Coming Back Together- After being depleted for a number of weeks, the New England offensive line has gotten much healthier. Last week, the Pats got offensive tackles Marcus Cannon (toe) and Sebastian Vollmer (concussion) back on the field together for the first time in five weeks. While neither played particularly well on Monday night, they both got a chance to get back into a rhythm last week and should be much improved in their second week back anchoring both ends on the line. With the two veterans on the outside and youngsters Shaq Mason, Bryan Stork, David Andrews, Tre' Jackson, Cameron Fleming and Josh Kline all healthy enough to play, its the deepest unit the team has had since probably Week 4. Look for all eight to work together to do a better job of keeping Brady upright, which they struggled to do last week against Buffalo, and to establish a running game for the Pats, who are limited in the passing game.

Battle of Top Defenses- With New England coming into the game as the top defense in the league, in terms of points allowed, and Denver sitting right on their heels, this game is set to be a battle of dominant defenses. The Patriots defense is beginning to draw close comparisons to the defenses field by head coach Bill Belichick in the early and mid 2000's. With a pass rush that might be better than any of those teams, they have multiple ways to shut down opposing offenses. The Denver secondary might be the top group in the league and the rest of their defense isn't to shabby either. It should be a treat to see a potential throwback to old school football, where a defense might make a play that wins the game.

Collins Comeback?- After missing the last three weeks of the season with a mysterious and physically draining illness, New England's star linebacker Jamie Collins finally found his way back onto the practice field this week. Though he was a nonparticipant in the team's Wednesday and Thursday practices, he was a limited participant in the team's final practice of the week on Friday. He is officially listed as doubtful on the on the team's injury report but he could maybe find his way into the game in a limited role on Sunday. The team has done a good job filling the void created by Collins, using the combination of veteran and former starter Jerod Mayo and Jonathan Freeny in a dual role. Mayo has emerged as an effective player on first down, while Freeny has added depth in second and third down situations.

Prediction- While this might be the toughest game the Patriots play all year, due to the level of talent they're playing against, the fact that they're on the road and all of the injuries they've dealt with to key players on the offensive end of the ball, it's hard to say New England can't win this game. Any other team would probably be dead in the water coming into this game the way the Pats are, but if there's one thing people should know by now, it's don't bet against Brady and Belichick. It's, no doubt, a tough task to come into Denver, in a nationally televised, late-season night game, and put up points on this defense, but if anybody can it's good old TB12 and The Hoodie. On the flip side, Osweiler is only making his second career start, which instantly gives the edge to the Patriot defense. A defensive mind as strong as Belichick's, along with defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, will surely dial up the pressure on the inexperienced quarterback. All things considered, look for the pursuit of a perfect season to be intact after the game is over. Pats 24, Broncos 10