Win the turnover battle
Yes, obviously. But if the Broncos don’t win the turnover battle, the game might as well be over before it starts; Tom Brady and the Patriots won’t let an extra opportunity go to waste.
Unfortunately, winning the turnover battle is something the Broncos have not been known to do this season. In fact, despite generating the eighth most turnovers in the NFL, Denver is tied for 19th in the league with a turnover differential of -4. For comparison, no other playoff team had a turnover differential lower than +2, and the Patriots were fifth in the league with a differential of +7.
In fact, the Broncos have only finished a game without a turnover twice all season, against the Bears in Week 11 and against the Steelers last weekend.
Adversely, the Patriots’ 14 turnovers are lowest in the league, and they’ve only lost the turnover battle twice this season.
If the Broncos are going to force Brady into mistakes, they’ll need to be on their A-game from the first whistle to the last. Any which way you slice it, the Denver defense will have to make big-time plays if the Broncos are going to win.
