Tom Brady has already lost 4 games to Peyton Manning led teams including an AFC Championship Game. In looking back at the 4th losses there is only one game where the Patriots didn’t have the opportunity to win in the 4th quarter. In two of the games the team the Patriots take the field with tomorrow is better suited to protecting a lead in the final minutes by keeping Peyton sitting on the bench. As for the un-brady like 4 interception game we’ll assume a repeat is not likely on Sunday.
FOXBOROUGH, MA 11/7/2005
COLTS 40 PATRIOTS 21
No sugar coating this loss by the Patriots. Peyton had two 100 yard receivers in Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne and a 104 yards of rushing from Edgerrin James. The Colts led the Patriots 21-7 at the half and the inferior Patriots team did not threaten that lead at anytime. The Patriots had only 34 rushing yards and Doug Flutie ran the offense in the final series.
FOXBOROUGH, MA 11/5/2006
COLTS 27 PATRIOTS 20
Brady’s 4 interceptions including one ending their final drive on 1st and 10 at the Indy 39 with a minute to play doomed this one. Brady’s 201 receiving yards were only 56 more than Marvin Harrison’s receptions. Although 148 to 53 yard advantage in the running game (Corey Dillion/Laurence Maroney) may have kept it close the turnovers insured it wasn’t enough.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 1/21/2007
COLTS 38 PATRIOTS 34
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Manning led the Colts from 18 points down in the second quarter and on a game-winning 80-yard drive late in the fourth, for a wildly entertaining 38-34 victory Sunday over the New England Patriots in the AFC title game. The Colts piled on 455 yards and scored on six of their final eight drives. The Patriots had possession of a 34-31 lead and 1st and 10 on their 40 yard line with 3:22 remaining. After 3 pass attempts they punted on 4th and 6 giving Peyton the ball with 2:17 remaining.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 11/15/2009
COLTS 35 PATRIOTS 34
Needing a first down to seal the game, Belichick decided to go for it on fourth-and-2 from his own 28 with 2:08 to go. Bill Belichick risked everything on one play Sunday night. It may have cost him a victory, but the Colts were moving the ball at will in the 4th quarter and giving the ball back to Manning with 2 minutes left by punting wasn’t appealing to Belichick.
*****
So the way I see it on Sunday is Tom Brady won’t throw 4 interceptions and would win game 2. In games 3 and 4 the current team would have been able to protect the lead by burning time running the ball and would win both of those. That leaves Peyton’s only option to winning is to have an overall much superior team as in game 1. He doesn’t have this, therefor he doesn’t have much chance of winning. Easy.
Patriots 38 Broncos 27
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