Dec. 27, 2011 10:28 PM
Associated Press

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

(Reuters) – Green Bay Packers‘ Aaron Rodgers and New England Patriots‘ Tom Brady were named on Tuesday as the starting quarterbacks for the National Football League (NFL) Pro Bowl.

Rodgers and Brady will square off in Hawaii on January 29 in the NFL‘s All-Star showcase but only if they are not in Indianapolis the following weekend playing in the Super Bowl.

The NFC quarterbacking line-up includes three Super Bowl most valuable players, led by Rodgers, who has guided the reigning Super Bowl champions to a 14-1 record this season.

Rodgers will be backed up by Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, who claimed the NFL’s single-season passing record on Monday and will be making his sixth All-Star appearance.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning earns his second Pro Bowl selection to match father Archie but will have some work to do to match brother Peyton who has been named to 11 All-Star teams.

Brady will start for the AFC (American Football Conference) for the second consecutive season and will be backed up San Diego Chargers’ Philip Rivers and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger.

The Patriots led the AFC with eight Pro Bowl selections while the San Francisco 49ers were tops in the NFC (National Football Conference), also with eight and one better than the Super Bowl champion Packers with seven.

FAVORITE TARGETS

Brady will be joined in Hawaii by two of his favorite targets, Wes Welker, who leads the league in receptions and yards, and Rob Gronkowski, who has already set an NFL record for most touchdowns in a season by a tight-end with 15.

The AFC roster has 13 first-time All-Stars, including Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, who becomes the first rookie wide receiver to be selected to the Pro Bowl since Anquan Boldin in 2003.

The other starting receivers will be Pittsburgh’s Mike Wallace and Miami Dolphins’ Brandon Marshall.

The AFC backfield will feature first-time starter Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens, backed up by Arian Foster of the Houston Texans and Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

LeSean McCoy, who leads the NFL with 20 touchdowns, will be the NFC’s starting running back and will be joined by San Francisco’s Frank Gore and the Chicago Bears’ injured Matt Forte.

Starting wide receivers will include Arizona Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald, Detroit Lions’ Calvin Johnson, Green Bay’s Greg Jennings and Carolina’s Steve Smith.

Saints’ Jimmy Graham, who leads NFL tight ends with 91 receptions, earned his first Pro Bowl appearance ahead of Atlanta Falcons’ Tony Gonzalez, who celebrates his 12th All-Star selection, the most all-time for a tight-end.

The NFL combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its All-Star selections with the consensus vote of each group counting one-third towards the total.

(Writing by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

What do you guys think about this.

After a weekend in which every relevant result broke the
New England Patriots
‘ way, their path to the No. 1 seed in the AFC couldn’t be clearer.

It remains murky, however, whether their struggling defense can improve enough to make a playoff run – especially without
their biggest pass-rushing presence.

The Patriots must move on without standout defensive end
Andre Carter
as they try to move closer to securing home-field advantage throughout the postseason Saturday by defeating the
Miami Dolphins
.

Home victories the next two weeks over 5-9 foes Miami and Buffalo would ensure New England (11-3) won’t play anywhere but
Foxborough until either the Super Bowl or next season.

Of course, the Patriots also had the conference’s top seed last postseason, only to be upset by the rival
New York Jets
in the divisional round – the second straight year they’ve dropped their playoff opener at home.

Despite its stellar record, Bill Belichick’s team hardly seems like a safe bet to return to the Super Bowl for the first time
since its bid for a perfect season was spoiled there four years ago.

The
Tom Brady
-led offense is typically potent, having averaged 35.8 points during the club’s six-game winning streak. New England’s defense,
though, has allowed more yards than any other team’s, and the season-ending quadriceps injury Carter suffered last week in
Denver certainly won’t help.

“That’s tough. Andre puts so much in with his leadership alone,” defensive tackle
Vince Wilfork
said. “He hasn’t really won a lot in his career, but now he’s winning, he’s happy here, he’s having fun, he’s playing well.
To see him go down, it’s a blow.”

Playing primarily at end in a newly installed 4-3 scheme, Carter provided the Patriots with a team-high 10 sacks. Without
him, it’s possible the club could return to more of the 3-4 arrangement it has used in past years.

“We used them both at different times for different reasons,” Belichick said. “In the end, it comes back to the players -
beating blocks, making tackles, hitting the quarterback, covering the receivers.”

New England didn’t do much of any of that while allowing 167 yards on the ground in the first quarter Sunday, falling behind
16-7 early in the second. But the offense responded with 27 straight points and the defense tightened to cool down
Tim Tebow
and the Broncos in a 41-23 drubbing.

Not only did the win clinch the club’s ninth AFC East title in 11 years, but the three other teams that had been tied at 10-3
atop the conference – Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Houston – lost.

“I don’t think we’ve got enough time to smile,” cornerback
Devin McCourty
said. “We see that happen, but I think it really (emphasizes) how important it is for us to keep playing well and to be ready
to go on Saturday.”

Saturday’s game seems straightforward enough for the Patriots, who’ve outscored the Dolphins 117-45 in winning all three meetings
over the last two seasons.

Miami has looked like a vastly improved team lately, however, winning five of seven since an 0-7 start. The revival wasn’t
good enough to save Tony Sparano’s job, but the Dolphins won their first game under interim coach Todd Bowles, overcoming
wintry weather for a 30-23 victory at Buffalo last week.

While
Matt Moore
has thrown 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions in the last seven games,
Reggie Bush
‘s renaissance has powered Miami lately, with the former USC star finally fulfilling the lofty expectations placed on him
when he was drafted No. 2 overall by New Orleans in 2006.

With one 100-yard rushing game in five seasons with the Saints, Bush has four for the Dolphins this season – including each
of the last three contests. He posted career highs of 203 yards and 25 carries against the Bills, ripping off a 76-yard touchdown
run in the fourth quarter to all but seal the game.

“I understand the questions,” Bush said. “I was hurt a few years and I wasn’t getting a lot of touches and yards. Rightfully
so, people should be questioning whether I can do it or not. But I know given the opportunity, I can show that I can be a
good back.”

The Patriots limited Bush to 38 yards on 11 carries in the season opener while Brady stole the show, passing for a team-record
517 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-24 victory Sept. 12.

“Embarrassing,” Miami safety
Yeremiah Bell
said. “That can’t happen.”

Wes Welker
had eight catches for 160 yards in that game, including a 99-yard touchdown. The NFL leader with 104 receptions for a career-high
1,380 yards, Welker has averaged 105.4 receiving yards in eight meetings with the Dolphins, who traded him to New England
in 2007.

The Patriots’ passing attack proved last week that opponents must pick their poison. With Welker and star tight end
Rob Gronkowski
combining for just eight catches and 94 yards, tight end
Aaron Hernandez
stepped up with nine catches for 129 yards and a touchdown.

“You never know who is going to be heavily involved,” Gronkowski said.

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

AP PHOTO
Patriots wide receiver Tiquan Underwood speaks to reporters at the team’s facility in Foxboro Wednesday.

FOXBORO — The wins keep coming for the New England Patriots. Yet each one seems to spark doubts about whether they’re as good as their 11-3 record suggests.

There is concern, from former Patriots Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison to some of their current players to nervous fans who have watched opponents shred their defense.

How can a team that’s on track to allow the second-most yards in NFL history have a six-game winning streak and the best record in the AFC? Is it superior coaching, a star quarterback, or just a remarkable run of good fortune?

“Maybe one or two games we can say, ‘Man, that was a pretty good game,’ ” wide receiver Deion Branch said. “The rest of them you can just pinpoint a lot of mistakes. But we were lucky enough to come out with a victory.”

Last Sunday, the Patriots beat the Denver Broncos 41-23 but allowed 252 yards rushing, 167 in the first quarter alone. One week earlier, they beat the Washington Redskins, 34-27, a victory secured only by Jerod Mayo’s interception at the Patriots 5-yard line with 20 seconds left.

And the week before, they watched a 31-3 lead shrink in the last 11 minutes before they held on to beat the then-winless Indianapolis Colts 31-24.

The Patriots figure to win their remaining regular-season games against the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, both currently 5-9. If they do, they’ll have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

But then what? The Patriots lost their opening

playoff game in each of the last two years, games in which their best antidote to poor defense, Tom Brady, struggled.

“This Patriot team is a proven regular-season team, but they have a lot to prove in the playoffs, where they have failed miserably the last two years,” Bruschi, a linebacker on the Patriots’ three Super Bowl championship teams, said Monday during an online chat on ESPNBoston.com. “All teams that make the playoffs should be feared by the Patriots, because what I fear the most for the Patriots is them playing the way they’ve played the last two years in the postseason. So it’s not about who they play, it’s about them showing up.”

Right now, it’s about ignoring the critics and just working to get better.

“I don’t really care what everyone else says,” linebacker Rob Ninkovich said. “I’m just trying to focus on each week and playing good football. We have a good record, yes, but we have to continue to play hard until the season (ends) and when the playoffs start we need to continue to improve. So I really don’t listen to anything out there, just shut it all out.”

To be fair, the starting defense has been battered by injuries. Safety Patrick Chung and linebacker Brandon Spikes missed the last six games. Cornerback Devin McCourty sat out two. Safety James Ihedigbo has missed parts of several games. And now Andre Carter, New England’s best pass rusher with a team-high 10 sacks, is out for the season after hurting his left quadriceps against the Broncos.

While they’ve allowed the most yards in the NFL, only 13 teams have given up fewer points. They’ve let teams score from inside the 20-yard line just 80 percent of the time, seventh in the league. They lead the AFC with a plus-12 turnover differential. And of their three losses, one came on a last-play field goal, another on a touchdown with 15 seconds left and a third by eight points.

“Our team has played well enough to win 11 games, so that’s good,” coach Bill Belichick said. “We still feel like our best football is in front of us and we keep working hard to try to perform at that level.”

But so far the Patriots have allowed 76 plays of at least 20 yards, more than five per game and 20 more than the single-season franchise high. Overall, they’ve given up an average of 414.4 yards. At that rate, they’d finish with 6,630 total yards, second in NFL history to the Baltimore Colts, who gave up 6,793 yards in 1981 when they went 2-14.

Because of injury or inconsistency, the Patriots have used 16 players in the secondary, including wide receivers Matthew Slater and Julian Edelman. On Wednesday they added a new one, signing seven-year veteran safety Vincent Fuller, who already had been cut this season by Tennessee and Detroit.

“They’ve had a lot of injuries, but (Belichick’s) moved guys around and they’re filling in and getting the job done,” said Redskins receiver Jabar Gaffney, a member of the Patriots team that went 18-0 in the 2007 season before losing the Super Bowl to the New York Giants. “It may not look as pretty, but they still find a way to win.”

It looked downright ugly to Harrison, a hard-hitting safety on the Patriots’ last two championship teams in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

“They should be concerned because that secondary is probably the worst secondary I’ve seen in the last decade,” Harrison, an analyst on NBC’s “Football Night in America,” said after the Redskins completed passes of 51 and 49 yards against it two weeks ago. “It’s been proven the last two years in the playoffs. If Brady’s off just a little bit, they’re vulnerable to lose.”

But the Patriots try to block out the doubters. No one has to tell them what their weaknesses are.

“You listen to other people if you want to, but (we) know what’s going on inside,” said running back Kevin Faulk, a Patriot since 1999. “There’s always room for improvement and if you are to reach what you want to reach, you always want to improve your team, no matter what it is, in every aspect of it.”

——

AP Sports Writer Joseph White in Washington, D.C., and freelancer Matthew Carroll in Foxborough contributed to this story.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Patriots outside linebacker Rob Ninkovich (50) sacks Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (15) on fourth down in the 4th quarter. (Staff photo by Keith Nordstrom)

DENVER (AP) – Not this time, Tim Tebow.

Not with Tom Brady on hand.

Brady threw for two touchdowns, ran for another and the New England Patriots shut down Tebow’s late-game heroics and clinched a playoff berth with a 41-23 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

“It was a really good day for us,” Brady said. “Very emotional game. It was really rocking early. We showed some mental toughness.”

The Patriots (11-3) won their sixth straight game and another AFC East title by bouncing back from an early 17-6 deficit and an awful first quarter in which they were outgained on the ground 167 yards to 4.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws under pressure from Broncos outside linebacker D.J. Williams. (Staff photo by Keith Nordstrom)

This time, there was no last-minute magic from Tebow, who had guided the Broncos (8-6) to four straight fourth-quarter comebacks and six straight wins.

Instead of another slow start followed by a fantastic finish, the Broncos started fast and then fizzled.

They scored on their first three possessions and then were done in by a trio of turnovers in the final 81/2 minutes of the second quarter.

“We did have things going pretty well early, scored on the first three possessions and felt like we were moving the ball good and then we put it on the ground,” Tebow said. “That’s something you can’t do against a great team and Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

“Besides that, we were right there with them.”

Champ Bailey had said the Broncos needed a big game against a big QB to prove to themselves and others that they were not just a curiosity but a contender.

They didn’t get it on this day.

“We showed today that we’re not ready to go to the playoffs and make a push,” Bailey said. “We’ve got to get better and we only have two or three weeks to do it. If we don’t, then we’ll be sitting home.”

For a sixth straight season.

With their first loss since Oct. 30, the AFC West-leading Broncos face a tougher path to the playoffs, with a trip to Buffalo next week followed by a season finale against Kansas City, which ended Green Bay’s 19-game winning streak Sunday behind Kyle Orton, the player Tebow replaced in Denver.

“I definitely feel like we’re all right,” said Tebow, now 7-2 as Denver’s starter.

He threw for 194 yards and ran for 93 yards and two scores but was sacked four times, including a 28-yard loss in the fourth quarter.

“I thought he improved,” coach John Fox said. “He’ll continue to improve. This was a setback, no doubt about that. But sometimes setbacks are setups for bigger things to come.”

After all, the last time Tebow lost, to Detroit on Oct. 30, he was put on notice that his starting job was a week-to-week proposition, and Tebow won his next six starts.

The one thing Tebow and the Broncos haven’t been able to do is keep up with the league’s elite passers. Denver has faced four QBs currently ranked in the top-10 in yards passing – Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Philip Rivers (twice) and Brady. They’re 1-4 in those games.

Asked if Tebow & Co. can keep up with the league’s top passers if they make it into the playoffs, Fox said: “I can’t predict that. He’s gotten better every week. Six or seven weeks ago, people said he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. He does that. I think he can do that. I don’t think that was why we lost the game tonight.”

Brady was.

“He’s still the best out there, in my opinion,” Bailey said. “And you make mistakes against a guy like that, he’s going to make you pay. That’s pretty much what happened all day.”

Safety Brian Dawkins missed the game with a neck injury and the Broncos missed him as they had to rely on rookies Quinton Carter and Raheem Moore.

“You can’t expect to get the same results when you lose a guy like that,” Bailey said. “But, at the same time, guys have to step up as professionals. You can’t play like that and expect to get wins.”

Brady was 23 of 34, including his first scoring toss to Chad Ochocinco. His TD run was his first of the year.

Brady made up for another bad day by the Patriots’ defense to beat the Broncos for the second time in eight career starts – the only team with a winning record against the three-time Super Bowl champion.

The Broncos’ 167 yards rushing in the first quarter – 11 more than their league-leading per-game average – represented the biggest output in any quarter of the Belichick era in New England.

But they would manage just 85 more.

After the Patriots fell behind 16-7, they went to the no-huddle and Brady threw a 1-yard TD strike to Aaron Hernandez, who set career highs with nine catches for 129 yards.

The Broncos’ ball-control offense stumbled after that.

Lance Ball, who earlier scored his first TD in the NFL on a beautiful 32-yard scamper, fumbled at his own 19 and linebacker Rob Ninkovich recovered, leading to Stephen Gostkowski’s 21-yard field goal put the Patriots up for good at 17-16.

Then, defensive end Mark Anderson, subbing for Andre Carter, who seriously injured his left knee earlier in the game, forced and recovered a fumble by Tebow at the Broncos 40. Six plays later, Brady took it in himself from a yard out to make it 24-16.

Brady celebrated his eighth career TD with a masterful spike.

“I don’t get in the end zone very often,” Brady said. “Maybe once a season. So, when I do I get pretty excited.”

The Broncos’ bumbling ways – which included a bad snap on an extra point attempt – continued when punt returner Quan Cosby tried to field a punt on the run and muffed it with three seconds left.

Dane Fletcher recovered for New England and Gostkowski trotted out for a 34-yard field goal to make it 27-16 at halftime.

Tebow’s 2-yard keeper with 8:41 left pulled the Broncos to 34-23 and had the crowd thinking comeback again, but Brady led the Patriots on another 80-yard scoring drive, this one culminating in BenJarvus Green-Ellis’ 1-yard TD run.

“The more we fight, the better this team gets,” defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said. “We knew they were going to come out fighting. They were going to come out fast and explosive. Our main goal was to weather the storm.”

Notes: The Patriots qualified for the playoffs for the 13th time since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994. … The Broncos haven’t won seven straight since 1998. … New England hadn’t won in Denver since 2003. … Brady’s last TD run was Nov. 14, 2010, at Pittsburgh.

Your Email is your “Member ID”

Latest Comments:

Thanks for reading! .

After a weekend in which every relevant result broke the New England
Patriots’ way, their path to the No. 1 seed in the AFC couldn’t be clearer.

It remains murky, however, whether their struggling defense can improve
enough to make a playoff run – especially without their biggest pass-rushing
presence.

The Patriots must move on without standout defensive end Andre Carter as
they try to move closer to securing home-field advantage throughout the
postseason Saturday by defeating the Miami Dolphins.

Home victories the next two weeks over 5-9 foes Miami and Buffalo would
ensure New England (11-3) won’t play anywhere but Foxborough until either the
Super Bowl or next season.

Of course, the Patriots also had the conference’s top seed last postseason,
only to be upset by the rival New York Jets in the divisional round – the second
straight year they’ve dropped their playoff opener at home.

Despite its stellar record, Bill Belichick’s team hardly seems like a safe
bet to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since its bid for a perfect
season was spoiled there four years ago.

The Tom Brady-led offense is typically potent, having averaged 35.8 points
during the club’s six-game winning streak. New England’s defense, though, has
allowed more yards than any other team’s, and the season-ending quadriceps
injury Carter suffered last week in Denver certainly won’t help.

“That’s tough. Andre puts so much in with his leadership alone,” defensive
tackle Vince Wilfork said. “He hasn’t really won a lot in his career, but now
he’s winning, he’s happy here, he’s having fun, he’s playing well. To see him go
down, it’s a blow.”

Playing primarily at end in a newly installed 4-3 scheme, Carter provided
the Patriots with a team-high 10 sacks. Without him, it’s possible the club
could return to more of the 3-4 arrangement it has used in past years.

“We used them both at different times for different reasons,” Belichick
said. “In the end, it comes back to the players – beating blocks, making
tackles, hitting the quarterback, covering the receivers.”

New England didn’t do much of any of that while allowing 167 yards on the
ground in the first quarter Sunday, falling behind 16-7 early in the second. But
the offense responded with 27 straight points and the defense tightened to cool
down Tim Tebow and the Broncos in a 41-23 drubbing.

Not only did the win clinch the club’s ninth AFC East title in 11 years, but
the three other teams that had been tied at 10-3 atop the conference -
Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Houston – lost.

“I don’t think we’ve got enough time to smile,” cornerback Devin McCourty
said. “We see that happen, but I think it really (emphasizes) how important it
is for us to keep playing well and to be ready to go on Saturday.”

Saturday’s game seems straightforward enough for the Patriots, who’ve
outscored the Dolphins 117-45 in winning all three meetings over the last two
seasons.

Miami has looked like a vastly improved team lately, however, winning five
of seven since an 0-7 start. The revival wasn’t good enough to save Tony
Sparano’s job, but the Dolphins won their first game under interim coach Todd
Bowles, overcoming wintry weather for a 30-23 victory at Buffalo last week.

While Matt Moore has thrown 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions in the
last seven games, Reggie Bush’s renaissance has powered Miami lately, with the
former USC star finally fulfilling the lofty expectations placed on him when he
was drafted No. 2 overall by New Orleans in 2006.

With one 100-yard rushing game in five seasons with the Saints, Bush has
four for the Dolphins this season – including each of the last three contests.
He posted career highs of 203 yards and 25 carries against the Bills, ripping
off a 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to all but seal the game.

“I understand the questions,” Bush said. “I was hurt a few years and I
wasn’t getting a lot of touches and yards. Rightfully so, people should be
questioning whether I can do it or not. But I know given the opportunity, I can
show that I can be a good back.”

The Patriots limited Bush to 38 yards on 11 carries in the season opener
while Brady stole the show, passing for a team-record 517 yards and four
touchdowns in a 38-24 victory Sept. 12.

“Embarrassing,” Miami safety Yeremiah Bell said. “That can’t happen.”

Wes Welker had eight catches for 160 yards in that game, including a 99-yard
touchdown. The NFL leader with 104 receptions for a career-high 1,380 yards,
Welker has averaged 105.4 receiving yards in eight meetings with the Dolphins,
who traded him to New England in 2007.

The Patriots’ passing attack proved last week that opponents must pick their
poison. With Welker and star tight end Rob Gronkowski combining for just eight
catches and 94 yards, tight end Aaron Hernandez stepped up with nine catches for
129 yards and a touchdown.

“You never know who is going to be heavily involved,” Gronkowski said.

Leave any suggestions in the comment box.

Both the New England Patriots and Boston Bruins are playing very, very well right now. Tom Brady and the Patriots are 11-3 and sitting atop the AFC and AFC East with only two games to go in the regular season. Meanwhile, Zdeno Chara and the Bruins have won five in a row and are also sitting atop their conference (the Eastern Conference).

So which team is the best in the city?

Only in Boston can we take two successful teams and pit them against each other for supremacy. Why? Well, because it’s Boston, where we only breed winners. Anything less than a championship is not acceptable. Right now, both the Patriots and Bruins are looking like they have a shot at bringing home yet another title.

Let your voices be heard and vote in our poll! Tell us who is better – the three-time Super Bowl champs or the six-time Stanley Cup Champs! 

For more New England Patriots and Boston Bruins coverage, visit our Pats and B’s team pages and blogs, Pats Pulpitand Stanley Cup Of Chowder.

Gotta run!.

The collective tenure of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady has completely overhauled much of New England Patriots history.

But there’s one long-standing aspect of the franchise’s past that Belichick and Brady have done little to change.

Like those that have come before them, they haven’t been able to consistently beat the Denver Broncos.

In his 12th year at the helm of the Patriots, Belichick is just 3-6 against Denver — his worst winning percentage against an AFC squad. Brady, meanwhile, is an unseemly 1-6 facing the Broncos, including the postseason. Brady against everyone else, by the way? 134-34.

In this regard, they’re far from unique in Patriots history. Bill Parcells? Two losses to Denver by an average of 30 points. Raymond Berry? Winless in five tries. Drew Bledsoe? Two wins in six games.

In fact, New England is 4-17 in its last 21 meetings with the Broncos, dating to Nov. 4, 1984.

On one level, it would seem to make sense. Despite some down years of late, the Broncos have been one of the best franchises in the conference since, well, John Elway arrived in 1982. Denver was really New England’s dynastic forerunner in the AFC, having back-to-back championships in the late 1990s behind Elway and Terrell Davis, ending the NFC’s decades-long dominance of the Lombardi Trophy.

But at the same time, this past decade hasn’t been Denver’s best, and it’s stunning that any team — let alone one that has dabbled in mediocrity of late — can boast this kind of sustained success against this Patriots administration. After all, it isn’t like the Broncos have been piling up 12-win seasons and Super Bowl appearances, like the Colts and Steelers, respectively, in the AFC. Yet New England handles those two teams much better than Denver.

Denver has made the playoffs four times while Belichick has been the head coach in New England, but the last trip was in 2005. One more victory this season would give the Broncos their first winning campaign since 2006, or back when Vince Young was the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.

So what gives?

“We just haven’t played very well. We’ve had some very close games against them; we just haven’t pulled it out,” said Brady last week. They’re a good team. They’ve had a good team for a long time — when [Mike] Shanahan was there, and I think we’ve played a bunch of very tight games with them. Hopefully we can start working our way to getting even.”

It’s tempting to pin much of the blame on the difficulty of playing in Denver, what with the trip out west and the thinner air. The Patriots did fly out on Friday, a day earlier than usual, to have an extra day to acclimate to the weather.

“Maybe it’s the mile-high air. Maybe there’s something to that,” said Brady.

But that excuse doesn’t hold much water, not when the Dolphins, Bills and Jets have all won a mile-high since 2009. And not when the Broncos haven’t had a winning season at home since 2007.

“Both teams will be breathing the same air,” Belichick said. “Best thing we can do is play well. We’ve gone out there and played well and won. We’ve gone out there and not played well and haven’t won.”

Denver is the site of Brady’s first playoff loss ever, and Belichick’s first with the Patriots — a game sealed by perhaps the most memorable interception of Brady’s career, when Champ Bailey picked him off in the end zone and returned it to the New England one.

Of course, that was six years ago, and the Patriots don’t suffer the past like a Faulkner character. Asked about his 1-5 regular-season record against the Broncos, Brady didn’t put too much stock in it.

“1-5? Man, that’s pretty bad. Hopefully we get to 2-5 this week,” the quarterback said. “Losing [stinks]; you hate losing, but there’s nothing I can do about those games in the past now. So I’ll just try to win this one. That will make me feel pretty good.”

One of the stranger aspects of Denver’s dominion over the Patriots is its consistency despite the turnover of personnel for the Broncos. Their success against Belichick and Brady has come with different coaches and different quarterbacks. Denver has beaten New England under Mike Shanahan and Josh McDaniels — both eventually fired — and with Brian Griese, Jake Plummer and Kyle Orton under center — all eventually traded or released.

This is a decidedly different Broncos regime, with John Fox in his first season as head coach and Tim Tebow making his first career start against New England. Both bring strong track records — Fox’s just in a larger sample than Tebow’s so far.

“I think it’s been obviously always a tough week to prepare for John’s teams,” said Belichick, who is 3-1 against Fox in his career, including a win in Super Bowl XXXVIII. “They do a good job with their different schemes, give you some different looks, really keep you honest, and we’ve certainly seen that in all three phases this week. There’s a lot to get ready for.”

But the Patriots hope that the changes in personnel for the Broncos lead to a change in their head-to-head history.

“It doesn’t really matter about what happened in other years,” said Belichick. “This is a new team and it’s a new coach out there. They do things differently than they’ve done them in the past, so it doesn’t really matter. They’re good right now. They’re playing well.

“Damn right, they’re a tough team to face. I don’t really think the ’87 team has anything to do with this game, in all honesty. I think it has no bearing on it whatsoever.” PATRIOTS AT BRONCOS TIME : 4:15 p.m. Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. ON TV : CBS (Channel 12 in Providence, Channel 4 in Boston). Jim Nantz play-by-play, Phil Simms color. ON RADIO : WBZ-FM (98.5), WPRO (630 AM), WEAN (99.7 FM), WSAR (1480 AM), WBSM (1420 AM). WEATHER : Sunny, 49 degrees. ALL-TIME SERIES : Denver leads, 27-16, including postseason. The Patriots are 8-18 in Denver. NOTEWORTHY : Tim Tebow is the 11th different quarterback to start for the Broncos since John Elway retired in 1999. Elway was 10-0 against New England in his career; the Broncos are 5-4 against the Pats since Elway retired.

tbritton@providencejournal.com

If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it.

When the Indianapolis Colts take on the New England Patriots, the rest of the NFL world usually grinds to a halt so that everyone can watch the drama unfold. When it became clear last month, though, that the Colts were going nowhere this season, the league pulled the teams’ December 4 tilt from its original prime time slot and moved it to an afternoon block, where it would be easier to hide. This was just one more indignity for Colts fans in a year when nothing has gone right for our team, but I could certainly understand why the NFL made the move, and I expected nothing better than a blowout at the hands of the Patriots. In the end, new starting quarterback Dan Orlovksy made life a bit interesting for Tom Brady(notes) and company, but the final tally of 31-24 doesn’t really reflect how lopsided the scoring was.

The first half was unexpectedly close, as the Colts held the Pats to just three points until there were under three minutes left. Brady went to work then and led the Patriots on two scoring drives, aided by an Indianapolis three-and-out that quickly got the ball back in New England’s hands after the first touchdown. Not surprisingly, New England was able to shut down the Colts while Orlovsky acclimated to his starting role, and the score was 17-3 by halftime.

The Patriots pushed their advantage to 31-3 by the end of the third quarter, and the Colts were essentially done at that point, although they did kick in a little bit of extra effort late in the fourth. After Donald Brown(notes) ran in a five-yard touchdown about six minutes into the final period, the teams traded punts for the rest of the game until just before the two-minute warning. At that point, Orlovksy found Pierre Garcon(notes) for a 33-yard TD pass and then got the ball back 30 seconds later. The duo hooked up again for an 11-yard score, and then a failed on-side kick ended the what could have been a very dramatic finish.

After settling into the offense, Orlovsky actually turned in a very good game and was able to take advantage of the Patriots’ suspect secondary. For the game, he completed 30 of 37 passes for 353 yards and recorded two touchdowns to go along with one interception. If Orlovsky can put together that kind of performance against one of the Colts’ remaining opponents who aren’t as solid on offense as the Pats are, Indianapolis may yet pick up a win this season.

I’m not exactly counting on it, but it sure would be nice. And it might, finally, make Curtis Painter(notes) expendable.

Adam Hughes was raised, and still lives, in rural Indiana. He has been a Colts fans since the team arrived in Indianapolis on a snowy morning in 1984. The Blue and White eventually replaced the Chicago Bears as his #1 team, and Super Bowl XLI was a dream come true.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all the news for today.

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri returns to New England with Indianapolis on Sunday. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

Every year the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots play one of the most entertaining regular season games of the NFL season. This season that is unlikely to be the case. At 0-11, Indianapolis is looking for their first win of the season. Without Peyton Manning(notes), the matchup will be much different than fans are used to. Every game Indianapolis has played this season has been something different for fans.

For many analysts the question is not whether New England will win the game, but who many points they will score and how much they will win by.

The Colts made two significant changes this week that will have a major impact in the game. Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was fired and replaced with linebackers coach Mike Murphy. Murphy should not be judged by the defense’s performance in this game. Tom Brady(notes) is amongst the best quarterbacks in the NFL and should be able to move the ball at will against the Indianapolis defense. The change to Murphy may ignite the defense but the playmakers to stop Brady and the Patriot offense are just not there.

Indianapolis also made a change at quarterback this week. Curtis Painter(notes) was recently benched in favor of Dan Orlovsky(notes). New England does not have a great defense and their secondary is certainly beatable. Fans will get a chance to see if Orlovsky can do any better than Painter. Indianapolis is likely to be playing from behind in the game and Orlovsky will get the opportunity to throw the ball a lot while attempting to score points to catch up to the Patriots.

As an Indianapolis fan, this is undoubtedly going to be one of the most difficult games of the season to suffer through. When the Colts take the field against their rivals they stand little chance to remain competitive let alone win the game. The Patriots should control the game from start to finish and make it difficult to watch.

For Indianapolis, neither Murphy or Orlovsky should have much of an impact in this game. Both were moves the team had to make though. After 11 straight losses some change had to be made. I only hope that it will eventually lead to a victory this season. That victory is just unlikely to come this week.

Prediction: Patriots 45, Colts 28

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Subscribe to our feed!.

The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots have been one of the greatest rivalries of the last decade in the NFL. Peyton Manning(notes) and Tom Brady(notes) are the two greatest players of this era and have produced memorable games every year. This season, their game was moved out of primetime as the Colts are struggling and are currently 0-11 playing without Peyton Manning. Listed below are the five greatest games in the rivalry between the Colts and Patriots.

2006 AFC Championship Game, January 21, 2007, Colts 38, Patriots 34

This was the game that the Colts finally defeated their rivals and earned a trip to the Super Bowl. For Colts fans, defeating their rivals in the AFC Championship may have been equally as important as the Super Bowl. Going into this game the Patriots had their number and this was the game where Manning finally mastered Bill Belichick’s Patriots.

November 15, 2009, Colts 35, Patriots 34

This game is remembered as the 4th and two game. Indianapolis trailed 31-14 in the fourth quarter and pulled off a miraculous comeback. Led by Peyton Manning, the Colts were on a roll in the fourth quarter and Bill Belichick knew it. This caused him to make his boldest coaching move he’s ever made. With a six point lead and the ball on their own 28 yard line, Belichick chose to go for it and came up short. Manning then got the ball with a short field and Indianapolis scored on a touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne(notes).

2004 AFC Divisional Playoffs, January 16, 2005, Patriots 20, Colts 3

Peyton Manning once again ran into the New England Patriots in the playoffs and once again got sent home by the Patriots. In the snow the Patriot defense got the best out of the NFL MVP as Manning’s record against New England moved to 0-7 with this loss. Many Indianapolis fans thought the team was good enough this season to overcome the Patriots and were let down once again.

November 7, 2005, Colts 40, Patriots 21

Peyton Manning was winless in Foxboro in his career going into this game. Finally Manning and the Colts were able to defeat their nemesis on their home field. Manning threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns. Marvin Harrison(notes) and Reggie Wayne both played outstanding games for the Colts. Harrison had nine catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Wayne had nine catches for 124 yards and one touchdown. The Colts dominated this game from start to finish. As an Indianapolis fan, it was a relief and a big accomplishment for the team to finally win on the road in Foxboro.

November 30, 2003, Patriots 38, Colts 34

The 2003 regular season matchup between the Colts and Patriots once again did not disappoint. This game is memorable for New England’s goal line stand to end the game. New England was winning 38-34 when the Colts only needed to gain one more yard for a touchdown to win the game. Willie McGinest(notes) stopped Edgerrin James(notes) on a fourth down rush to end the game and keep the Colts out of the end zone.

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all the news for today.

That’s all the news for today.