Patriots Have That Super Bowl Look Again After Throttling Broncos in Denver

DENVER — Early Sunday afternoon, Tom Brady experienced what he always does here against the Denver Broncos: frustration, closed windows and getting knocked on his ass.

Brady entered the Pats’ latest showdown against Denver with a 2-7 record vs. the Broncos on the road, including last year’s title game loss. His last win before Sunday afternoon at Sports Authority Field came against Tim Tebow in 2011. And beating Tebow almost doesn’t count.

History looked as if it was about to repeat Sunday. Brady was 0-6 in the first quarter and took some good shots from Broncos pass-rushers. His passer rating was 39.6 (speaking of Tebow).

The second quarter saw more of the same. Patriots wide receivers were blanketed, and Brady was pressured. And believe me, the only thing more awkward than Brady scrambling for his life is a reverse comb-over on a windy day.

Despite the promising start, these Broncos didn’t have the offensive firepower to take advantage of their defensive prowess. Just as important, the Patriots showed they had learned from last year’s AFC title game loss. After three quarters on Sunday, the Patriots had 27 passes and 27 runs, a sharp contrast to the playoffs game plan that saw New England throw 60 passes to 17 runs total.

The strategic shift worked. Brady was (mostly) frustrated, but the Patriots’ ability to run the football (136 yards compared to Denver’s 58), combined with Denver’s inability to do almost anything consistently offensively, allowed New England to slowly but surely play with the Broncos, like a cat and its string, building leads of 10-3, then 13-3.

That’s when Brady started to catch …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com