Most of the hype surrounding Sunday’s AFC Championship Game will be centered on the Peyton Manning versus Tom Brady storyline, and rightfully so. The two greatest quarterbacks of their generation will square Sunday off for the 17th time ever and the fifth time in the playoffs. While Brady holds a decisive edge against Manning overall (11-5), the two are tied in the playoffs and neither quarterback has won a postseason game on the road against the other.
But as Broncos fans are acutely aware after Denver’s Divisional Playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, if Manning is going to win against a resilient and battle-tested playoff team he’ll need contributions from his entire team. The man at the helm of the greatest offense in NFL history won’t likely be passing his way to a 10-point victory like he did in 2013. As the Broncos have done all year, they’ll rely on their defense and running game to keep the game close; they’ll lean heavily on the home-field advantage that Sports Authority Field at Mile High provides.
The 2015 Broncos that will face New England haven’t put up the same astronomical offensive numbers as the others Manning has led against Brady’s Pats, but they’ve also got an infinitely better defense than any of Manning’s previous teams. In fact, in terms of league rankings, this is the most complete team of the bunch.
Here’s how the five teams that Manning has taken into battle against Tom Brady stack up…
No. 5 – 2004 Indianapolis Colts
Lost AFC Divisional 3-20
Offensive League Rank (Average)
Total Yards: 2nd (404.7)
Passing: 1st (288.9)
Rushing: 15th (115.8)
Scoring: 1st (32.6)
Offensive Average Rank: 4.75
Defensive League Rank (Average)
Total Yards: 29th (370.6)
Passing: 28th (243.2)
Rushing: 24th (127.3)
Scoring: 19th (21.9)
Defensive Average Rank: 25.0
Total Average Rank: 14.875
No. 4 – 2006 Indianapolis Colts
Won AFC Championship 38-34
Offensive League Rank (Average)
Total Yards: 3rd (379.4)
Passing: 2nd (269.2)
Rushing: t18th (110.1)
Scoring: t2nd (26.7)
Offensive Average Rank: 6.25
Defensive League Rank (Average)
Total Yards: 21st (332.2)
Passing: 2nd (159.2)
Rushing: 32nd (173.0)
Scoring: 23rd (22.5)
Defensive Average Rank: 19.50
Total Average Rank: 12.625
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[adrotate group=”1″]No. 3 – 2013 Denver Broncos
Won AFC Championship 26-16
Offensive League Rank (Average)
Total Yards: 1st (457.3)
Passing: 1st (340.2)
Rushing: 15th (117.1)
Scoring: 1st (37.9)
Offensive Average Rank: 4.50
Defensive League Rank (Average)
Total Yards: 19th (356.0)
Passing: 27th (254.4)
Rushing: t7th (101.6)
Scoring: 22nd (24.9)
Defensive Average Rank: 18.75
Total Average Rank: 11.625
No. 2 – 2003 Indianapolis Colts
Lost AFC Championship 14-24
Offensive League Rank (Average)
Total Yards: 3rd (367.1)
Passing: 1st (261.2)
Rushing: 19th (105.9)
Scoring: t2nd (27.9)
Offensive Average Rank: 6.25
Defensive League Rank (Average)
Total Yards: 11th (299.3)
Passing: 5th (175.6)
Rushing: t20th (123.8)
Scoring: 20th (21.0)
Defensive Average Rank: 14.0
Total Average Rank: 10.125
No. 1 – 2015 Denver Broncos
TBD
Offensive League Rank (Average)
Total Yards: 16th (355.5)
Passing: 14th (248.1)
Rushing: 17th (107.4)
Scoring: 19th (22.2)
Offensive Average Rank: 16.50
Defensive League Rank (Average)
Total Yards: 1st (283.1)
Passing: 1st (199.6)
Rushing: 3rd (83.6)
Scoring: 4th (18.5)
Defensive Average Rank: 2.25
Total Average Rank: 9.375