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2016 AFC Championship Game: The Phantom Point

By Corbin Warnock

Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) talk after the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) talk after the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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45. Final. 18. 47. 20

In a nail biting 2016 AFC Championship game Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos defeated the New England Patriots.

This came down to the last seconds — literally.

Right when you thought the Broncos sealed the victory for sure, the Patriots convert on a 4th-and-10 and 4th-and-goal.

Then they were down by two and had to go for the two-point conversion.

They had to attempt the 2-point conversion because New England Kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed the extra point int he first quarter after running back Stephen Jackson scored the teams first points.

Since he missed the extra point, that is one reason the team had to attempt a the 2 point conversion to tie the game and have a chance to win the game in overtime.

In the first half, New England could get nothing going on offense; they had no rhythm.

Their defense was doing decent yet just couldn’t make the big plays and easy plays, and Denver was dominating the first half.

Their offense opened up not he first drive with a touchdown to tight end Owen Daniels.

They started at about their own 20 yard-line and worked their way up the field.

The defense got to Tom Brady multiple times and was winning the battle in the trenches.

Brady threw two interceptions in the first half and Peyton Manning threw the ball backwards which led to a fumble recovery by New England.

New England did make some adjustments but couldn’t really execute them until the very end of the game.

Rob Gronkowski was shut out for most of the game.

He was the player who caught the ball on 4th-and-10 and the touchdown on 4th-and-goal.

The New England Patriots missed the 2-point conversion.

Brady threw it right to his receiver who couldn’t reel it in.

The ball was then tipped and intercepted then stripped an fumbled an recovered by New England, which did not matter.

They then went for the onside kick hoping for a miracle and the Broncos recovered the onside kick.

Denver’s defense picked off Brady two times in the game.

You can blame the game on the kicker for missing the extra point in the 1st quarter or you can blame the whole team for losing the game…or the coach…or the whole team.

You cannot rely on one play to win the game.

If you are a great team you will make plays throughout the game to help you and the team win the game an advance to the Super Bowl.

Gronkowski was not himself with random cramps and dehydration.

Coach Bill Belichick decided to go for it on 4th and 1 instead of kicking a field goal.

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    • There were two times they could have kicked the field goal and the score would have been 18-20.

    If the kicker made the extra point, with the two field goals the score would have been tied at 20 a piece then the touchdown would have gave them the lead with 12 seconds left.

    However without the extra point and the field goals tried and made; then when they scored the touchdown it would have been 24-20.

    The Denver Broncos were only held to a field goal the entire second half.

    If New England shut Denver out in the second half they could have won the game with out the touchdown and scored those two field goals and then kick the game winning field goal to win 18-17.

    If they kicked it on the fourth down they would have won 21-17.

    With the extra point being made, the touchdown after the two field goals would have been 23-17.

    This game between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning was one for the ages.

    When you think of these two players, you think of two elite players to have ever played the game of football.

    They each got pressured, rushed, drop backed, hurried, or sacked multiple times.

    This game came down to both teams defenses and the special teams big play-makers.

    This is how ironic this game was.

    All this talk by the quarterbacks and the defenses were the talk of the game for both teams.

    There are multiple questions now.

    Was this the last we will see of a Brady vs Manning match up?

    Is this Manning’s last year — and if not, how many more years, months, or games does he have left in the tank?

    Where will the Broncos and Patriots go from here?

    Will the Patriots make the playoffs next year?

    Can they make it to the Super next year?

    When will Manning, Brady and their coaches each retire or move on?

    Who will be the next big man for each team an step up in the next coming years?

    Will these two teams be great next year or just duds an not that great?

    Next: NFL to LA: Raiders Want Out Of Oakland

    And many more questions to come.

    But all we have for now is another instant classic.

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