The Broncos won the AFC championship Sunday and will head on to the NFL’s 50th Superbowl.
Ninety-nine yards rushing.
Usually that’s not enough to win. But it was enough for the Broncos to beat the New England Patriots Sunday, 20-18, and claim the AFC championship.
But the big number from the game isn’t 20. It’s 2.5. That’s the number of sacks on Tom Brady by No. 58, outside linebacker Von Miller, who was named Player of the Game. It’s a Broncos post-season record.
Before the team took on the Patriots at Sports Authority Field, Miller said he only needs a second to get to Brady. He proved it multiple times – the 2.5 sacks is a little misleading. Brady was toppled at least 18 times, with Miller playing a big role in many of those knockdowns.
The Broncos have the best defense in the NFL this year. And it’s defense which has kept the team winning this season.
And what about No. 18? The alleged “backup” quarterback Peyton Manning, who sat out most of the season with an injured foot, had the second-longest rushing play of the game – for 10 yards. He also passed for two touchdowns, to No. 81, Owen Daniels.
After a game against the Steelers in which the receivers looked like they couldn’t catch flies with their mouths wide open, today’s performance by many, including Emanuel Sanders, No. 10, was vastly improved.
The Patriots were favored by 3 points — which didn’t stop the Broncos from sacking them.
Onward Denver marches toward SuperBowl 50!
Photo credit: Marco, Creative Commons, Flickr.
