Getty ImagesLast year, the Broncos and Patriots played twice, and neither game was close: New England won 41-23 in the regular season and 45-10 in the playoffs. This year, the Broncos are preparing to play the Patriots on Sunday, and they think things will be different.
In fact, Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey says the Broncos don’t just think they can win: Bailey said the Broncos “know we can win.”
But that wasn’t always the case. According to Bailey, last year he didn’t believe all of his teammates were confident heading into their two losses against the Patriots.
“I didn’t feel like there were 53 guys that thought we could win,” Bailey said. “And it showed.”
So what’s different this time? Bailey suggested that replacing last year’s defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen, with Jack Del Rio was a step in the right direction. And although he didn’t mention them by name, he clearly believes that quarterback Peyton Manning gives the Broncos a better chance of beating the Patriots than Tim Tebow did.
“Couple of different players here and there. Different coordinator. Different mentality,” Bailey said. “But I think last year, it was pretty obvious we didn’t put our best effort in that last game. It was real disappointing to get that far and not put forth 100 percent. But it is what it is, it’s in the past, and this is a different year, different breed of guys going in there.”
If Bailey is right, and if the Broncos do beat the Patriots, that would be a strong sign that the Broncos really are a better team this year.
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The Broncos need to win a Super Bowl for champ. Top 3 corner of all time and a total class act. He could have bailed on this franchise several times, it is time to reward him for his loyalty.
Going to be an awesome game! I can’t wait!
The Cardinals know they can beat them.
Someone test champ bailey for illegal drugs, cuz he’s gotta be on something to think they can beat the pats!!! Lmao!!
Champ Bailey – ‘We know we can beat them!’
Final Score – Patriots 52, Broncos 17
Not a Pats fan but I think right now the Pats will use the run game to batter and bruise the Broncos(and of course keep Manning off the field).
Regardless of whether or not the Broncos win tomorrow, they are better than they were last year. This team is going to win 10-11 games.
Hope you are right, Champ.
I highly doubt it.
But I do hope you are right.
Not this year. Peyton is almost back, but the pats have too much in Peyton’s head. Pats 28-17
Champ bailey is all talk he better make sure Peyton can finally have a complete game.
He’s not wrong. Pats have a pretty sad record against the Broncos all time IIRC. Might be the only team BB has a losing record against. If Den was 1-14 and the Pats were 15-0, I’d worry to death about my Pats playing them.
“If Bailey is right, and if the Broncos do beat the Patriots, that would be a strong sign that the Broncos really are a better team this year.”
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Whether they win or lose, they’re still a better team than last year.
The Broncos are about as good with Manning as they were with Tebow. The Pats will knock them to 2-3. The Bolts will deliver the coup de grace the following week, knocking the Pats to 2-4 while San Diego takes control of the division at 5-1.
To the smart guy that said Peyton Hasn’t put a complete game together must not know football very well. 30-38 for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns and no picks seems like a heck of a complete game to me.
Sorry, Champ. You open your mouth and all I hear is 45-10.
I wish you the best though.
Peyton’s neck still messed up from carrying that monster sized dome.
More confidence with Manning vs 99% of any NFL QB in the history of the NFL. I think the answer will always be Manning.
Leave the poor kid alone.
I wish Tebow were not such a forgiving man and would answer those ungrateful douche bags that are his former teammates. you guys sucked before Tebow took over and you made the playoffs because of him not the defense. the defense improved because of Tebow’s running which kept the defense that sucked before him off the field which allowed them plenty of rest. you are delusional if you think you are going anywhere this year. maybe you luck into a playoff spot since your division sucks but you will be 1 and done.
The Bronco’s DEFINATELY have a better chance of beating the Patriots now that they have a real quarterback. Peyton Manning at 75% is a million times better than Tim Tebow on his best day.
If Manning limits his turnovers, Denver can pull off the win. But if he throws multiple INT’s, Denver loses because you can’t gift wrap the ball and give it to Tom Brady and expect your defense to save you. Either way, it should be more interesting than last year.
Brady and Belichick have a losing record against the Bronco’s because of Shanahan and because the majority of the games have been played in Mile High which is a notoriously difficult place to go to on the road.
That being said, Brady v Manning is always a toss up, especially with the way our defense has been the last couple of years.
I think Manning has beat the Pats like 4 of the last 6 games….I doubt they are “in his head”
My pats are pretty good but aren’t THAT good.
Peyton’s good but the broncos arent THAT good.
Champs good. But hes only one dude.
Mcgahee will exceed 120 yards and be the key piece in a Denver win this week…even though teams have an easy time passing against the pats. Maybe a bunch of dump offs and lots of YACs…
But i don’t see Denver going that deep this year. Plus elway loves Romney.
Can the Broncos win? Sure they can, and in fact have owned the Pats for a long time. Here’s what I think will happen. Vince Wilfork on Dan Koppen is a MAJOR mismatch for the Pats. Big Vince will push him into PAY-ton’s lap. Pay-ton doesn’t like pressure up the middle. Moving him off the spot will not allow Pay-ton to exploit the weak spot of the Pat’s defense which is safety play. The score should be somewhere in the vicinity of last year’s games. Oh, and the weather is supposed to be cold, windy, and wet. And we all know how a dome QB does in inclement weather. Especially a QB with a rag arm.
I have all the respect in the world for Champ and would take him on my team any day, but its just funny how the Broncos beat up on a weak Raiders defense literally fielding a practice squad secondary and now everyone is acting like its 2009 again. The Patriots will win based on the fact that Peyton simply wont be able to keep up with Brady.
Last time you played the Patriots you gave up 6 passing touchdowns to Tom Brady. The Patriots now have a run game. This Patriots team has balance. It can run the ball well and pass the ball well. These two teams are different from last year though. Any given sunday rule applies every game. Two good teams going head to head again. Manning vs Brady is always entertaining. You will never find two better at reading defenses. We will see the lost art of pocket passing tomorrow afternoon. Goodluck to both teams and come out of this healthy.
Brady and Belichick respect Champ and rarely throw his way.
Going to the game. Supposed to rain; prolly test him even less.
humb0lt says: Oct 6, 2012 7:57 PM
The Broncos are about as good with Manning as they were with Tebow. The Pats will knock them to 2-3. The Bolts will deliver the coup de grace the following week, knocking the Pats to 2-4 while San Diego takes control of the division at 5-1.
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Charger math. humb0lt doesn’t even know which team is going to be 2-4, but he’s already got the Super Bowl Express at 5-1. The same SBE that played one good team so far, and got whipped.
we got some dumb patriots fans in here
Tim Tebow is an excellent football player, an outstanding human being but a below average quarterback. I will grant that he is a born winner but he can not throw a football. That said, Mannings passes all look like wounded ducks too.
If the cards can win in Foxburough. The Broncos surely can
And like that, Champ Bailey provides the Patriots with the extra motivation they really didn’t need.
Manning isn’t back yet and the short range stuff isn’t going to get the job done. For anyone to say he is 100% I suggest you watch some of the espn highlights leading up to the game (or any of the ones that played all week) his passes don’t even resemble a spiral and on long throw he looks like he is lobbing the ball instead of throwing it. I will grant that by the third quarter when he finally warms up they look a bit better but he isn’t there yet. He just doesn’t look 100% to me and less than that wont be good enough.
humb0lt says:
Oct 6, 2012 7:57 PM
The Broncos are about as good with Manning as they were with Tebow.
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Huh?
Tebow doesn’t have the skills to compete with the Manning / Brady / Brees / Rodgers crowd….. not even close…. to beat those guys, you have to outshoot them…
If Tebow played 100 games against any of those 4, he would never put up more yards or TDs….. never…..
The Broncs are 10x the offensive threat this year…. period.
Bailey is saying it how it is and remaining classy (not dissing Tebow). I’m a Bills fan. Fitz should’ve EASILY scored at least 3 more TD’S against the Pat’s last week. As long as stud Von Miller and Denver D can make an appearance, I like ‘em.
The Pats secondary, well improved over last year, is still vulnerable to a surgeon like Peyton. However, the Pats now have a strong running game and I think they may be able to ball control their way to a victory by keeping Manning from getting the ball very often. Also, while the Pats secondary is vulnerable, their front seven and run defense is very good. This may force the Broncos to become a one dimensional offense which always plays into Diabolical Bill’s hands. I predict a Pats win…. but not a blow out. Peyton will score his points.
It will be great to see Manning and Brady on the field again, however not that much has changed in Denver.
Pats 44-27 and Manning throws 4 INTs.
Of course my above comments gets hatters from the Bills fans and the Pats fans.
Stay classy folks and be real.
Final score, Broncos 42 Patriots 21
Manning better than Brady!
Even if the bills ‘EASILY’ scored 3 more TDs, they still woulda lost.
Manning took Tim Teblow’s job cause he Blow’s and that was probably the only playoff game he will go 2. Hell looks like the only 1 he will lose cause he runs.
I like Champ, but seriously?
I can see if they added some stud defensive player, but I don’t see how Peyton prevents the Broncos from getting rolled over every time Brady gets the ball.
I don’t know if the Broncos really can beat the Patriots at this point.
Brady has a lot more weapons, and Mr. 5’10 Champ Bailey cant’ cover Gronkwoski, and isn’t fast enough for Welker.
They have an offensive upgrade in Manning, but the fact of the manner is that they still have to face a team that put up 40 points up on them last year.
nflfan1 says: Oct 6, 2012 9:35 PM
And like that, Champ Bailey provides the Patriots with the extra motivation they really didn’t need.
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Good Point, the Pats are nearly impossible to beat when they have extra motivation. Just like that game last year when they had all that extra motivation to beat a team that ruined there perfect season a few years ago and kept them from a 4th SB.
edwinmoses says:
Oct 6, 2012 9:58 PM
Bailey is saying it how it is and remaining classy (not dissing Tebow). I’m a Bills fan. Fitz should’ve EASILY scored at least 3 more TD’S against the Pat’s last week. As long as stud Von Miller and Denver D can make an appearance, I like ‘em.
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You mean the same Ryan Fitzpatrick who couldn’t tell the difference between his receivers and Devin McCourty? And you really think he could have put up 3 more TDs? Which is why when the Bills got down big and the Patriots were willing to trade yards for time off the clock all the Bills offense could manage was one TD? Yeah…
Denver is always a scary matchup against the Patriots and Mile High hasn’t been a good place for the Patriots to play…I’m so happy to finally see a balanced offense and that is gonna be huge tomorrow, especially if the weather is gonna suck…Look for McDaniels to establish Ridley/Bolden early and often and then run the play actions off that and open up stuff farther down the field…Pressure on Manning is key on the defensive side and I think we can make that happen with Denver’s line all beat up…Should be a great game
walker615 says: “Champ… could have bailed on this franchise several times, it is time to reward him for his loyalty.”
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That’s funny, I vividly remember him bailing on his franchise. Which is why he was traded to the Broncos, so his franchise could recoup some lost value!
Let’s not forget, before last years’ blowouts it was the broncos who beat the pats with orton at the helm. In fact, brady never beat the broncos twice in a row until last year, Peyton Manning with the colts gave denver more problems than brady. I agree with champ, defense didn’t show up nor did the offense last year and the winner of this game will be the team who wins the turnover battle.
humb0lt says:
Oct 6, 2012 7:57 PM
The Broncos are about as good with Manning as they were with Tebow. The Pats will knock them to 2-3. The Bolts will deliver the coup de grace the following week, knocking the Pats to 2-4 while San Diego takes control of the division at 5-1.
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You’re supposed to get smarter as you get older, dumbolt.
What happened to you, did you fall on your head?
…and by sheer cosmic coincidence, the Broncos are magically going to be scheduled to play the Patriots every year from now until one or the other of them retires.
Jolink – I’m guessing you never watched the game on rewind. Fitz had Stevie Johnson WIDE open for a TD and had T.J. Graham down the side line both would be easy TD’s for Manning. This went on throughout the game. Pats secondary will get torched today.
Tedmurph – clearly you don’t even understand the argument being made. The point is Manning makes those throws where Fitz comes up short.
Lastly, you’ve been served. That is all.
Pats 31 denver 21, that is all. No wait, SF 45 bills 3. Have a fun year.
Beats the heck out of me why these cats go say dumb things like this. No way they can beat the Pats. Pats didn’t have Hernandez either. Wake up, son. Y’all are 2-3, only beating a pathetic Raider team and a very injured Steeler team. If you meet the Steelers in the playoffs, you’re done!
Now just shut up and play ball!