Week 12 is going to be a wild one. All 16 teams will be action and one of the slated games includes a blockbuster showdown between the 10-0 New England Patriots and the 8-2 Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field. Expect this game to be neck-and-neck all throughout with the league’s No. 1 offensive and defensive team mercilessly go at each other. Who’ll be left smiling by the end of this one?
Read on further for an in-depth breakdown of this must-see matchup. And while you’re at it, check out our other Week 12 previews: Bucs at Colts and Ravens at Browns.
[sc:Football ]New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos Preview
Where: Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver
When: Sunday, November 29, 8:30 PM ET
Line: New England Patriots (-3) at Denver Broncos (+3); total: 43.5 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: NBC
Betting on the New England Patriots (10-0)
It wasn’t pretty but the New England Patriots will take the win nonetheless. They recorded their 10th-straight victory and remained undefeated after beating a resilient Buffalo Bills team on Monday night, 20-13. Quarterback Tom Brady didn’t play like his usual self but played well enough.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Brady completed 20 of his 39 passes for only 277 yards, which was his second-lowest total this year. Fortunately though, the pair of WR Danny Amendola and RB James White provided some key contributions to help them gut one out.
Amendola, who took over as the Pats’ No.1 receiver because of last week’s injury to Julian Edelman, had nine receptions for a season-best 117 yards. But the 30-year-old was forced to exit the game in the second half due to a knee injury, hence making his status unclear for next week. White, on the other hand, connected with Brady for a 20-yard score and added a 6-yard run in the third period to give them the lead for good.
Looking ahead to Week 12, the Patriots will have a chance to clinch their division when they lock horns with the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field. Brady and company are 6-4 SU and ATS in their past 10 meetings with Denver.
For the Pats to win again, they need to get things flowing—especially on offense—from the very beginning and Brady will have to be even more accurate with his throws versus a Broncos defense that’s surrendering only 18.3 PPG, the second-fewest in the NFL.
With Edelman and (maybe) Amendola out, the team will turn to Brandon LaFell to help them ignite their intimidating passing game (320.4 yards per contest). LaFell caught two of six targets for 66 yards against the Bills and has a total of 306 yards receiving with zero touchdowns across five outings this season.
If things don’t work out with LaFell, there’s always the ever-reliable Rob Gronkowski to pick up the slack. Gronkowski, who’s one of Brady’s favorite targets, was quiet last night with only 37 yards on two receptions but he currently boasts a team-best of 16.5 receiving yards per game, the most among all tight ends this season.
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Betting on the Denver Broncos (8-2)
No Peyton Manning, no problem! The Denver Broncos relied on their backup quarterback Brock Osweiler to take the lead under center against the Chicago Bears Sunday night and the results went to plan accordingly. They won, 17-15, and have strengthened their hold of the top spot in the AFC West to three games.
Osweiler seized the opportunity in his first ever career start in the league, completing 20 of his 27 passes for 250 yards along with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He’ll get another chance to continue making his claim for the starting QB spot over the fading Peyton Manning when he and the rest of his teammates collide with the still-undefeated New England Patriots this coming Sunday night.
The Broncos, who are 5-1 SU and 3-2-1 ATS on the road this year, are going to need more than just their relentless defense (284.3 total yards given up per game) to come out on top in this game. Their offense needs to deliver the goods as well. That said, look to the pair of RB Ronnie Hillman and WR Demaryius Thomas to make their presence felt.
Hillman was one of the brightest spots in their triumph over the Bears, as he posted a game-high 102 yards on 21 carries. He also owns a team-best of 528 yards rushing with five scores across 10 games. Thomas, meanwhile, has been getting it done through the air, averaging 12.3 yards per catch and has reached 100-yard mark three times this season.
Also, it’ll be worth keep a close eye on their newly-acquired tight end, Vernon Davis, who seems to be getting more comfy through each game. He’s fresh off his most impressive game thus far on the year, hauling in six receptions for 68 yards.
Writer’s Prediction
This game goes down to the very last wire but Brady and company provides just enough offense to edge the Manning-less Broncos by single-digits.
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