Tom Brady and the New England Patriots face an old foe in Peyton Manning, but this time he will show up wearing the uniform of the Denver Broncos. New England crushed Denver's dreams of a Super Bowl last season in the playoffs so they ditched their old quarterback in Tim Tebow and picked up a future Hall-of-Famer in Manning. Can Manning deliver redemption for Denver in this regular season rematch? We will find out come Sunday afternoon.
The Patriots made a statement defeating the Buffalo Bills by the score of 52-28 after getting off to a horrific 1-2 start on the season. They hope the momentum can carry over into this week as they face a more talented opponent in the Broncos.
In order to win the Patriots' defense will need to keep Manning under control. They can't focus too much on the passing game with Willis McGahee back in the lineup for the Broncos. Offensively, Brady will need to be consistent while Stevan Ridley and Brandon Bolden need to have similar performances to what they had against Buffalo.
The matchup:
The New England Patriots will take on the Denver Broncos at Gillette Stadium located in Foxborough, Mass. on Sunday, October 7, 2012 at 4:25 p.m. EDT.
The standings:
New England enters the contest with a 2-2 record and in second place in the AFC East. They are 0-1 when playing at home and are 2-1 against AFC teams this season.
Denver enters the contest with a 2-2 record and in second place in the AFC West. They are 0-1 when playing on the road and are 2-1 against AFC teams this season.
The series:
The regular season all-time series record stands at 25-17-0 in favor of the Broncos.
Where to watch:
The game will be televised on the CBS network. Check your local television listings for broadcasts in your area.
Medical Watch: (PUP-physically unable to perform, IR-injured reserve, O-out, D-doubtful, Q-questionable, P-probable) *Status as of October 5, 2012.
New England: Myron Prior (shoulder, PUP), Jake Ballard (knee, PUP), Visanthe Shiancoe (hamstring, IR), Spencer Larson (undisclosed, IR), Will Allen (undisclosed, IR), Dane Fletcher (knee, IR), Brad Herman (Achilles, IR), Jeff Demps (leg, IR), Josh Barrett (undisclosed, IR), Jamey Richard (concussion, IR), Aaron Hernandez (ankle, Q)*, Markus Zusevics (pectoral, O), Julian Edelman (hand, D), Kyle Love (knee, Q), Shane Vareen (foot, Q), Nick McDonald (shoulder, Q), Brandon Bolden (knee, Q), Rob Gronkowski (hip, Q), Don't'a Hightower (hamstring, Q), Logan Mankins (hip, Q), Justin Francis (ankle, Q), Sebastian Vollmer (back, Q), Sterling Moore (knee, Q), Michael Hoomanawanui (concussion, Q), Steve Gregory (hip, Q), Brandon Deaderick (ankle, Q), Tom Brady (right shoulder, P).
Denver: J.D. Walton (ankle, IR), Quinton Carter (knee, IR), Ty Warren (triceps, IR), Jeremy Beal (knee, IR), Philip Blake (thumb, IR), D'Andre Goodwin (ankle, IR), Jason Hunter (triceps, IR), Mario Fannin (Achilles, IR), Chris Kuper (forearm, Q), Chris Harris (ankle, P), Tracy Porter (shoulder, P), Matt Willis (hamstring, P), Nate Irving (concussion, P).
More New England Patriots Commentary from this Contributor:
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills, September 30, 2012: Fan Preview
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Sources:
All stats provided by NFL.com
Paul Rados is an avid New England Patriots fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados.
