Game-day details
Sun., 4:15 p.m. ET, Invesco Field at Mile High
Weather forecast from AccuWeather.com:
Partly sunny. High: 50. Low: 30.
Why To Watch
After a dismal Week 1 loss at Miami, Denver coach Mike Shanahan has righted the Broncos' ship, leading his team to four consecutive victories and a place atop the AFC West. The injury-depleted Patriots continue to win close games but are not dominant, giving teams like the Broncos reason to believe they can beat the Super Bowl champs.
New England has been decimated by injuries on defense and along the offensive line. But as long as quarterback Tom Brady is healthy, little else seems to matter. Brady spreads the ball to a wide range of players, but the revived running game was a big help against the Falcons last week. If running back Corey Dillon can repeat that 106-yard performance, the Patriots will be in good shape this week and going forward.
Denver has a solid running game with Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell, but quarterback Jake Plummer is an enigma. Wide receiver Rod Smith continues to contribute at the age of 35, but Ashley Lelie, a first-round pick in '02, is a bust. The defense is the primary reason for Denver's quick start, but Plummer must be more consistent for the Broncos to make the playoffs.
Patriots Keys For Success
1. Pound the ball with Dillon. The Patriots' offense finally saw some balance (30 rushes, 27 passes) against Atlanta last week. New England must continue to run the ball to create play-action passes for Brady and take pressure off the two rookies starting on the left side of the line.
2. Keep Plummer in the pocket. The Patriots' secondary has been burned in recent weeks. New England can limit the damage by keeping Plummer in the pocket, where he is less effective and prone to making stupid throws under pressure.
3. Burn the blitz. The Broncos like to blitz the quarterback. With injuries to the secondary -- most notably All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey -- the Broncos will use a varied blitz package to pressure Brady and force him into throwing before the porous secondary gets exposed. The Patriots should counter with a multitude of screen passes and draw runs to take advantage of the over-pursuing defenders.
Broncos Keys For Success
1. Run inside. Bell had big success (127 yards on 12 carries) running outside against Washington last week. But the Patriots have been decimated by injuries to the middle of their defense. Despite not being a power running team with a bruising line, the Broncos should exploit the middle of the Patriots' run defense. Anderson, more of a bruiser than Bell, will be a key factor.
2. Pressure Brady. Brady continues to impress, but the Broncos must get inside pressure to keep him from surveying the field and picking apart their woeful secondary. Brady is a traditional pocket passer who is at his best stepping up in the pocket. When he gets pressure in his face, he lacks the speed to get to the corner. Still, he rarely forces passes into tight coverage; he will throw the ball out of bounds or take the sack. The Broncos got little pressure on Washington's Mark Brunell last week, and he threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns in the rain. If Brady doesn't feel much of a rush, the results will be much worse Sunday.
3. Throw to the wide receivers. New England's banged-up secondary has been victimized by big plays every week and has given up the most plays of 40-plus yards in the NFL. The Patriots likely will focus on stopping Anderson and Bell, so Smith and Lelie will have plenty of opportunities to make plays downfield.
Injuries at a glance
Patriots injuries
10/11/05 Corey Dillon RB Undisclosed injury Week 6 status unclear
10/11/05 Willie McGinest LB Hand Status unknown for Week 6
10/2/05 Kevin Faulk RB Leg Likely out until mid-November
10/9/05 Richard Seymour DT Knee Could miss 3-6 weeks
Broncos injuries
10/11/05 Champ Bailey CB Hamstring Week 6 status uncertain
The Bottom Line
The Patriots won a big game last week against Atlanta because they finally were able to run the ball. With a rejuvenated running game, the Patriots should keep the Broncos honest. That will enable Brady, who is red hot, to pick apart the Broncos' secondary.
Even with two loses, how can you not pick the Pats? If, and IF the broncos win this game i'd say they have put themselves atop the AFC with Indy. I'm not even going to attempt a prediction on this one, I just hope Denver doesn't have thier typical "let down" game this week.
i could very well see the broncos winning.. if they play how they have the past few week then they should dominate the patriots like the chargers did.. dont forget we beat the chargers and look what they did to the pats.. but its still a toss up
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sig my me^
DW27 DN29
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"Al wilson is not as publicized as urlacher and lewis, but I believe Al Wilson is just as good as those two guys"-Gil Brandt
I can't see the Pats losing this game Gay, Pool,Seamour will be back.The Pats
O can turn it on when needed, I don't think Broncos can stop the Pats passing
game.
Pats 38
Denver 26
take the over.
__________________ The Pats are going to the Super Bowl
Originally posted by upstart@Oct 11th '05 @ 6:23 pm I can't see the Pats losing this game Gay, Pool,Seamour will be back.The Pats
O can turn it on when needed, I don't think Broncos can stop the Pats passing
game.
Pats 38
Denver 26
take the over.
Not if they keep playing the way they have they won't. Hopefully Bailey and DWill make their return
Patriots @ Broncos
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