AFC Championship Game: Scenario Set Up When Pats Lost To Broncos

DENVER (CBS4)- The main reason the Denver Broncos are hosting the New England Patriots for the AFC Championship Game in Denver on Sunday instead of visa versa is because Denver beat New England during the regular season.

"This whole scenario was pretty much set up by the fact that the Broncos were able to beat New England in November, so what a reward," USA Today NFL columnist Jarrett Bell told CBS4.

Denver also was able to secure that No. 1 seed in the playoffs because the Patriots lost to the Eagles, Jets and Dolphins late in the season.

On Thursday Bell talked to CBS4's Gary Miller at Broncos headquarters about the matchup and some of the Broncos biggest challenges and strengths.

"Everybody who is looking at this game is still looking at it as Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, here we go again. It's so fitting that for such an historic Super Bowl that these two are going to lead these teams one way or the other," said Bell. "I think the thing that kind of strikes me with this Broncos team is kind of how it has morphed into one team or another throughout this entire season."

So now the question, how do you stop Tom Brady?

"With a lot of pressure, a lot of plastering on his receivers, things like that and maybe even keeping him off the field with a running game," Bell said.

"But you always want balance, and as I think about the couple of times I've been here (in Denver) ... this season how the Broncos teams kind of looked, when they beat Green Bay, Peyton had a really big day and kind of carried the effort. And then a few weeks later I was here when they played New England, it was Brock Osweiler time and the running game really came up big that day.

"You want to have that balance. Obviously the Broncos defense has been stout all season long so they're going to need a really big game from them."

Miller really wanted to know, why does everyone on the East Coast think, oh, the Patriots traveling to Denver, no problem?

"If you look at the Patriots record, they have had trouble coming here and winning repeatedly over the years so, no, it's not automatic," said Bell. "It's obviously going to come down to how they play and I think that the thing when you look at New England and you look at all the success that they've had, for so many years, you know they've had to win a lot of big road games and they can win anywhere. They're a team that can travel and win."

"New England actually has a bigger home field advantage it seems in the playoffs in Foxborough than almost anybody. So the fact that they have to go on the road, that's a big deal for them," Bell said.