The Patriots had a roller coaster season, but still managed to dispatch the Colts in the playoffs with no trouble at all. The Broncos set NFL records with their offense while sporting a somewhat suspect defense. Which team will win?
| Patriots | Broncos | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 - 4 | Record | 14 - 3 |
| 9.2 | Strength of Schedule | 8.8 |
Offense
The Patriots regular season offensive score was 32.7 and their post-season offensive score is 54.1, they really crushed the Colts in their one playoff game so far. The Broncos regular season offensive score was 46.5 and their post-season offensive score is 46.9. The Broncos Manning-lead offense is their signature, and have a strong advantage here, despite the Patriots strong playoff game.
Edge: Broncos
Defense
New England's defense hasn't been their selling point for a number of years now, and while this unit stepped up a little in the post-season, with a regular season defensive score of 15.5 and a post-season defensive score of 18.8, I'm not sure that's good enough to stop the Broncos' offense. The Broncos' defense was at times a liability this year, and has not really improved in the playoffs. The Broncos regular season defensive score was 13.9 and their post-season defensive score is 14.1. This is an underwhelming battle, with the Patriots having a small statistical edge.
Edge: Patriots
Special Teams
Both teams have decent speacial teams, and both teams played worse during the playoffs so far. Not much else to say. New England's regular season special teams score was 6.7 and their post-season special teams score is 3.4. Denver's regular season special teams score was 6.9 and their post-season special teams score is 3.6.
Edge: Broncos
Miscellaneous
The Patriots are very disciplined, they keep the penalties low, and have a solid turnover ratio. The Broncos have an incredible time of possesion average, and an excellent point differential.
Edge: Broncos
Final Verdict!
The Broncos at home should win this fairly decisively. Forget about Manning's record vs Tom Brady, it doesn't mean much for this game.
Predicted Winner: Broncos
Stats:| Team | Y | MSM | Off | Def | ST | Misc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 2013-2014 | 86.31 | 37.0 | 16.2 | 6.2 | 12.1 |
| Denver Broncos | 2013-2014 | 99.04 | 46.6 | 13.9 | 6.2 | 15.6 |
