Week 15 Preview: New England Patriots v. Denver Broncos

Ladies and gentlemen, it is New England Patriots v. Denver Broncos week and Tom Brady’s worst nightmare team is at home in the Mile High City.

There is one team Tom Brady has a losing record against in the NFL. That team is the Denver Broncos. Last season, head coach Bill Belichick saw an unfamiliar situation when now Houston Texans quarterback, Brock Osweiler beat the Patriots in his first ever start against them.

According to reports, the Broncos will be missing their starting linebacker Brandon Marshall, who is still nursing his hamstring. This will be the second consecutive game he will miss after being inactive last week against the Tennessee Titans. Corey Nelson assumed his role versus the Titans and played exceptionally well covering an underrated tight end in Delanie Walker.

Fast forward to this week, it is important for the Broncos to neutralize Martellus Bennett at tight end. The Patriots lost Rob Gronkowski to a back injury for the rest of the season, but there is hope he returns for the postseason. Nelson more than likely is the player to get assignment on Bennett. Bennett potentially is the same body type and talent as Walker. Ideally, Nelson should not see any issues covering Bennett after his stellar performance last Sunday in coverage.

The other two players worth stopping for the Broncos secondary to shut down Sunday is Chris Hogan and Julian Edelman. In my opinion, there is no concern in stopping Malcom Mitchell due to one of the three shutdown corners will be covering him. Both Hogan and Edelman are the same type of player, but Edelman plays above Hogan by a mile. In the past, Chris Harris matched well with Edelman. Look for such idea to continue on Sunday with Wade Phillips calling the shots.

Michael Floyd is the wild card in the Patriots’ offense. Patriots claimed Floyd yesterday in hopes of adding offense to a team desperate for answers after losing Gronkowski for the season. Floyd is a gifted athlete, but there are doubts he can pick up the Patriots’ offense in two days.

In order to stop the passing game and running game of the Patriots, the Broncos must pressure Brady, as they have done in the past. Once Von Miller and the rest of the pass rush hit the potential Hall of Famer often, Brady might wear down and becomes ineffective. However, this is Brady we are talking about. The quarterback that despite playing off in the AFC Championship game in 2015, still was a 2-point conversion from tying it. Brady will get his on Sunday, but the Broncos must get off the field on third down.

Third down defense is the key to shutting down the entirety of the Patriots’ offense. For the Broncos’ offense, Trevor Siemian and company needs to convert on third downs, while finishing drives with a score. Starting quickly in the first quarter goes a long way to establishing a semblance of a great game. The problem might be unfamiliar territory. If the Denver Broncos do start fast, head coach Gary Kubiak needs to keep his foot on the gas pedal in facing the Patriots.

GAME NOTES:

• Denver Broncos own a winning record against the New England Patriots in head-to-head matchups (26-20, overall).
• Tom Brady is 2-7 all-time in Denver and 4-2 in Foxboro; a 6-9 record all-time versus the Broncos.
• Last regular season matchup, Broncos outrushed the Patriots 179-39.
• If Trevor Siemian beats the Patriots, this will be the second straight year a quarterback wins a game in his first start against Bill Belichick.