The NFL Roundup: The AFC Championship

You often hear people say that sometimes...the Conference Championships are better than the Super Bowl itself, and quite frankly, there is merit to that. After all, these games tend to feature a pair of teams that are not only the best in their respective conference...but they tend to not like one another and have often times faced off at least once earlier in the season. It means there is indeed a special feel when they take the field and quite frankly they tend to play a little harder. After all, this is your shot at the title, and heading to the big game is a little sweeter when you beat your arch rival to get there and this year's AFC Championship features exactly that kind of game as the Patriots face the Broncos in what could be the final game in Denver for Quarterback Peyton Manning. This should be a great one and here are our thoughts on who will win the Lamar Hunt trophy and advance to represent the AFC in Super Bowl 50.

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AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT DENVER BRONCOS

Scotty's Take
I am blown away this year by what the Denver Broncos have been able to accomplish thus far, but I hate to say it, most of it was luck.  Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge Broncos fan, but when you watch this team every week, there is nothing that shows me that they have the drive to win a game.  Dropped balls, no running game and an old Manning, it just does not look good for them going forward.  I know that everyone says that Defense wins championships, but you have to put some points on the board to win the game.  The Patriots looked pretty good last week as they defeated KC and they are only getting stronger as the season moves on.  Tom Brady is just magical in the pocket and he has proved once again that he is not a one dimensional quarterback as he was able to rush for a couple first downs and almost a touchdown, (which he got anyway).  As everyone on the roster starts to get healthy again, they have one of the most dynamic offenses and are not afraid to shake anything up, especially in the playoffs.  I can see several strange lineups on offense that will confuse the number one defense in the league on Sunday and if the New England offense starts to click, there will be little to no chance to stop them. Final score if you ask me...New England 42, Denver Broncos 18.
AFC CHAMPION - New England Patriots

John's Take
I have to admit that I am extremely excited to watch this game for so many reasons. For one...it's freaking Manning vs. Brady once again and when these two take the field, for the most part...we get a pretty incredible game and I love the fact that these two are squaring off for another AFC Championship. But once the glamour and glitz of two of the NFL's finest quarterbacks wears off, there's plenty of football related reasons I'm anxious to see this game...one of them being the confidence that Denver will have coming into this one. Let's not forget that the Broncos were the team to deliver the Pats their first loss of the season in impressive fashion while missing key players on both sides of the ball. Yes, I know New England was missing key players as well but injuries are going to come into play in this game and right now, Denver has the healthier squad. But I digress, because we need to spend a few more moments on that confidence the Broncos have and what it means for the game. You see, New England's wins are often based on two important things, execution and allowing that precision to get into their opponents minds. Often times the Patriots seem unstoppable, but the fact of the matter is...they are still a beatable team and I don't think the Denver defense will let them get into a rhythm, nor will they let Tom Brady rattle them, which means we can expect a bend but don't break mentality that disrupts some important drives. Combine that...with the fact that Denver is going to stick to a run game that is currently red hot and that they will use Manning and the receiving corps to keep the New England defense honest and you get a recipe that sends the Denver Broncos to Super Bowl 50.
AFC CHAMPION - Denver Broncos