The New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos met in their NFL clash on Sunday Night Football at Gillette Stadium.
The match was billed as the game of the season as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning renewed their rivalry for the 14th time of the their illustrious careers.
The game didn't disappoint as the teams put on a show for the ages as Brady led the Patriots back from 24-0 down to beat the Broncos in overtime 34-31 thanks to a field goal from Stephen Gostkowski.
Read how all the action happened in our commentary below.
Good morning and welcome to the live commentary of the NFL clash between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos.
Games don't come much bigger than this as future of Hall of Famers, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning clash for the 14th time in their illustrious careers.
Brady has had the edge over Manning in this fixture over the years leading with a 9-4 record including two big playoff wins when Manning was a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
However, Manning's finest hour came against Brady and the Pats in the 2006 AFC Championship game as he led the Colts from a 21-point deficit to beat New England to advance to the Super Bowl, which they won by beating the Chicago Bears.
There is often a debate around who is the better quarterback as with any rivalry, but in situations like this, it's impossible to choose. As Brady has three Super Bowl rings and two MVP awards to Manning's four MVP awards and one ring. You really can't lose by picking either of them and like some things just comes down the personal choice.
This game is not only important in the Brady/Manning rivalry history but also in the current season's playoff seedings. The Patriots are 7-3 and hold the number three seed following their defeat to the Carolina Panthers on Monday, but with a victory tonight they will move to the two seed after the Colts lost earlier today to the Arizona Cardinals.
The Broncos are sitting pretty in the one seed in the AFC and are atop the AFC West following their huge win over the Kansas City Chiefs last week. They were boosted today again as the Chiefs fell to their second defeat of the season to the San Diego Chargers. So even if the Broncos lose tonight they can't fall out of the one seed.
Breaking down the keys of this game and you can't look further than Manning and the Broncos' offense who are doing incredible things this season. They are on pace to break the Patriots' own NFL record of the amount of points scored in a season, while Manning is eyeing Brady's NFL record of passing touchdowns in a season. He's just 16 shy of the mark with six games to play.
As mentioned previously Brady has had success over Manning in the past but that's not always been down to the quarterback. The Patriots' defense of the early naughties was the bane of Manning's life. Despite his high-powered weapons including greats of the game such as Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Edgerrin James and Dallas Clark, he could never seem to perform against Bill Belichick's side.
The Patriots used to be physical with the Colts receivers at the line of scrimmage and don't expect that to change in this game with the Broncos. Aqib Talib, Alfonzo Dennard, Kyle Arrington and Devin McCourty will all have been told by Belichick to disrupt the timing of Manning's throws to Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Wes Welker. Halting Manning's quick release, forcing him to throw long where he can make mistakes, along with added pressure from the pass rush.
Easier said than done though especially with the Broncos receivers, one of whom returns to his old stomping ground for the first time since leaving the club earlier this year. Of course, I'm talking about Wes Welker. The 32-year-old enjoyed great success in six years with the Patriots as he reached over 1000 yards and 100 catches in five of his six seasons. He was Brady's go-to-man for so many years and was loved by the quarterback but now, he's with Manning after the Pats went in another direction in the off-season.
Manning loves Welker just as much as Brady and the receiver is on pace to shatter his personal touchdown record for a season. He has nine already through 10 games and that's as many as he caught in his best season with the Patriots in 2011. His ability to beat defensive backs quickly is so key for Manning and he will look his way quite often in this game I think.
One fact that shouldn't be swept under the carpet is that the Patriots offense is very good as well. So I would be inclined to expect a shootout. One reason for that is Brady's record against Broncos' defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, who is also the interim head coach due to John Fox's illness. Brady is 6-0 against Del Rio and has a completion % of 74% and has thrown 14 TD's to zero interceptions. Quite the scary thought for the Broncos.
Expect them to use their running game to limit possessions this morning as they did with some success against the Panthers on Monday as Shane Vereen, LeGarrette Blount and Stevan Ridley all ran well. That could be the difference between the sides today.
The key for the Broncos will be to get to Brady. He has looked rattled when teams have got to him this season in his side's defeat to the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals. If Shaun Phillips and Von Miller can rush him well, they could win the game for their side.
One thing that should be noted is the weather in Foxborough. It's freezing at 22 F with wind speed at about 21 MPH. That could be a huge factor in this game.
PATRIOTS INACTIVES: Gregory, Bequette, Boyce, Beauharnais, Hoomanawanui, Forston, Barker.
BRONCOS INACTIVES: J Thomas, Dysert, Hillman, Bailey, Walton, Kuper, Huff.
The Patriots have been boosted by the return of cornerback Alfonzo Dennard for this clash after he missed the defeat to the Panthers. However, they will still be without safety Steve Gregory while tight end Michael Hoomanawanui is also out.
The Broncos are without tight end Julius Thomas, so Manning will be without one of his key weapons but Welker plays after sustaining a concussion last week. Safety Michael Huff is inactive after joining the club this week, while cornerback Champ Bailey is still out with a foot injury.
COIN TOSS RESULT: The Patriots win the toss and elect to defer to the second half so the Broncos will get the ball first.
Gostkowski kicks the ball out of the endzone and Manning will begin at the 20.
Moreno gets the handoff immediately and gets 12 yards on a draw play up the middle of the line before Spikes brings him down.
Manning can't extend the drive as his pass to Welker on third and seven goes for only six yards as he is brought down by Collins and Hightower, after Green could only get three yards on second. Colquitt's punt is fair caught by Edelman at the Patriots' 24.
The Patriots move the chains immediately as Ridley rips off a seven-yard run over the right-hand side of the line and on third he looks to Vereen in the flat and he gets four yards beating Woodyard in coverage.
Vereen move the chains again with a 14-yard reception after he got four yards on second down. Good start for the Patriots from their backs.
FUMBLE & TOUCHDOWN!!
The Broncos take the lead as Ridley fumbles for the Patriots and the ball lands at the feet of Von Miller who scoops up the ball and runs with it to the endzone for the 60-yard touchdown. Huge moment to start the game.
McCourty returns the kickoff to the 28 where Brady will begin again.
FUMBLE!!
Brady gets sacked by Miller and Knighton is able to scoop the ball up and takes it to the Patriots' 4.
TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS!
What a start to this game for the Broncos as Manning hands the ball off to Moreno and he powers through the line to get into the endzone for the two-yard score. Not the start the Patriots hand in mind.
McCourty carries the ball to the 24 where Brady will begin again.
Vereen moves the chains for the Patriots as Brady hits him on a curl route for seven yards can the home side get something going here.
FUMBLE!!
The Patriots fumble the ball again for the third time in the opening eight minutes of the game as Blount gets the handoff from Brady and gets nine yards but then gets smacked by Ihenacho and loses the ball.
Denver will have the ball on the 44 rather than the return they got. Crazy start to the game!
Moreno moves the chains for his side as he gets two carries of five yards over the middle of the field on two draw plays to move his side to the 34.
Moreno gets the handoff again as he bustles over the marker with six-yard carry. After he got six on first and second. The Broncos are running all over the Pats.
Ball gets the carry this time and he finds a huge hole over the middle of the field for 16 yards to take his side to the New England five.
SACK! Chandler Jones gets to Manning and drops hi for a 10-yard loss and the Broncos can't get the yardage back on third down and that will force Prater into a 27-yard field goal.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Patriots 0-17 Broncos
Prater kicks the ball through the posts and hands his side a 17-point lead in the game. Incredible start at Gillette Stadium.
Brady will start at the 24.
The Patriots get a huge break as Amendola gets his facemask grabbed by Harris and give the Patriots 15 yards to move them to the 39.
The Patriots can't go any further downfield as Brady gets sacked on first down and dropped for a nine-yard loss by Vickerson who coasts up the middle to get the quarterback. Brady's pass to Amendola on third and five and a 14-yard reception by Edelman is incomplete. Allen's punts out of the endzone and Manning will begin at the 20.
The Broncos move the chains as Manning fires to Tamme on an out route and he gets seven yards before he's brought down by Collins and Ryan at the Broncos' 32.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: New England Patriots 0-17 Denver Broncos
Moreno gets the handoff and he churns through the middle of the line and beats a tackle to get 14 yards to move the chains to the Denver 46.
The Broncos' drive comes to an end as Manning throws an incomplete on third and 10 after Spikes had dropped Ball for a five-yard loss on second down. Colquitt punts to Edelman who drops the ball then gathers it and then fumbles it after a hit but Buchanon falls on it at the 20 for the Patriots. Dear me!
The Patriots get the chains moving as Brady hands the ball of to Bolden, their fourth back, of the night as he rips of a run of 33 yards to take his team over the halfway line.
Brady fumbles the ball this time for the Pats and fortunately for them it bounces at his feet and he unloads to Bolden for a gain of 11 yards to move his side to the Denver 35.
The Patriots go for it on fourth down and Brady throws an incompletion to Amendola as he chose to hang on to the ball for an extra second allowing the back to cover the receiver. Vereen had a crucial drop on second as Brady's looped pass was on him but he couldn't corral the ball.
Denver move the chains as Moreno gets nine yards on the ground on first and second and Manning throws to Decker on third on a quick hitch route for a seven-yard completion on the sideline.
The Broncos get the yardage on third down despite being at third and 20 as Manning throws a quick screen to the back and he gets 25 yards before he gets brought down. The effort from the Pats in this game has been terrible.
The Broncos move the chains again as Moreno gets the handoff and he powers through the middle of the line for a 12 yards to move his side to the 10.
TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS!
The Broncos extend their advantage as Manning throws down the seam and Tamme gets between Harmon and Hightower in coverage for the 10-yard touchdown. This is getting out of hand.
The Patriots get a break as a personal foul personal foul penalty that gives them another set of downs at their own 43.
SACK! Brady gets sacked on first down as Miller hurtles off the edge and brings down the quarterback for a six-yard loss beating Solder. The Patriots can't get the first-down yardage and are forced to punt.
Allen punts to the 30 where Manning will begin again.
The Broncos move the chains as Moreno gets seven yards on first down and then powers through again on second with a gain of six to shift his side to the 41.
At the two-minute warning, the Broncos have a second and 11 at their own 40.
The Broncos' drive stops as the 50 as Manning's pass to Decker falls incomplete with coverage from Ryan the factor. Colquitt punts to the eight where Edelman gathers.
The Patriots move the chains with a couple of short completions first to Amendola for five yards then Edelman for six yards to them to the 19.
The Patriots put together a bizarre offensive series as they throw a short pass to Gronkowski that get calls back for pass interference. They then choose to run Vereen straight into the line for two straight play, leaving Allen to punt.
FUMBLE!
Allen's punt is muffed by Holliday and the Patriots gather at the 42, that may give Brady a chance at a Hail Mary.
Brady's throw to the endzone on the Hail Mary hits a wall of wind and is blown backwards and Rodgers-Cromartie tries to get the pick but drops the ball and injures himself as the half ends.
END OF SECOND QUARTER: New England Patriots 0-24 Denver Broncos
Well I don't think anyone expected that! The Patriots couldn't have wished for a worse half of football, they were utterly dreadful on both sides of the ball. The Broncos have taken full advantage of their mistakes and hold a 24-point lead at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots have fumbled six times, that is correct six! Three of those have been lost and one was returned for a touchdown. Belichick will be furious with his side as they have been out-competed here. Probably the worst they have played since their 2009 Wild Card Round defeat to the Baltimore Ravens.
Denver will be delighted with how things have gone so far in this match. Manning has thrown for just 59 yards and a touchdown but somehow they lead by 24 points. Moreno has been good in the ground game and has over 100 yards on 17 carries in the first half. The Pats may have to change their gameplan.
Brady will start at the 20 as Prater's kick sails through the endzone.
The Patriots move the chains as Brady hands off to Bolden who gets a three-yard carry on second down after Thompkins got a nine-yard reception on first.
Another first down for the Patriots as Brady drills the ball to Thompkins on an inside slant route from the left and he gets 10 yards before he gets touched to stop his progress.
The Patriots move all the way to the 20-yard line as Brady slings the ball out to Gronkowski on a wheel route and he carries for a 33-yard reception after Thompkins got five yards on first.
The Patriots move the chains again as Vereen gets eight yards on first down and Edelman catches the ball two times to corral it on the sideline to get the first down with a four-yard reception.
TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!
The Patriots reduced the deficit to 17 points as Brady lobs the ball to Edelman on a fade route and he catches the ball low despite coverage from Jammer for the five-yard score. Game on?
Holliday returns the ball to the 19 where Manning will begin.
Moreno moves the chains for his side as he gets two carries through the middle of the line for 12 yards to move his side to the 31.
Two more carries as Moreno gets the handoff on first for six yards and Ball gets the second for six more right through the middle of the line. It's unstoppable at the moment from the Patriots.
FUMBLE!
Ball gets the dumpoff from Manning and gets absolutely nailed by Fletcher and loses the ball. Several players jump on it from both sides but it's the Patriots who gather through Spikes.
Brady gets his side moving immediately as he fires to Vereen on an option route over the right-hand side and he sprints and gets 11 yards to move the chains.
Brady fires to Gronkowski on a slant route on third and three and he drags several players with him before he's finally brought down on the one-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!
The Patriots drag themselves within 10 points as Bolden gets the handoff on the goalline and he powers into the endzone for the one-yard score behind two big blocks from Mankins and the full back Devlin. Game on now!
Manning will start at the 15 after a penalty brings the Broncos back from the 25.
The Broncos convert on a crucial third down and five as Manning hits Welker on a crossing route for a 15-yard reception taking his side to them to the 30.
Manning fumbles the ball on third down and five but he drops it at his feet and is able to gather before he gets hit by Collins for the sack. Moreno got stuffed on second down after a three-yard carry on first. Colquitt's punt is returned to the Patriots' 35 by Edelman. Very interesting game now, this is more like Brady/Manning clashes.
Brady throws a strike to move his side to midfield with Thompkins making the grab for the 15-yard reception. He goes to ground before several Broncos player surround him and try to strip the ball.
Brady fires deep downfield off play-action looking for Edelman and he makes the grab between two defenders to set up first and goal for the Patriots at the Denver eight with a 43-yard reception.
Third and goal at the Denver six for the Patriots after Vereen gets a two-yard carry.
TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!
The Patriots bring themselves within three points as Brady fires an absolute cannon down the middle of the endzone for Gronkowski who makes the grab for the six-yard score. He may have pushed off from Woodyard to make the grab but the officials didn't call it and we now have a game on!
Manning will start at the 15 as Holliday returns the ball 12 yards.
Moreno gets the handoff and manages to get six yards on the ground before he's brought down. The Broncos will have a second and four, in the fourth quarter into the wind.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: New England Patriots 21-24 Denver Broncos
The Broncos get the first down as Anderson plows through the middle of the line to get three yards to move the chains.
INTERCEPTION!
Manning is intercepted by Ryan as his pass looking for Decker is jumped by the rookie cornerback and he makes an excellent catch to cling onto the ball low the ground.
The Patriots move the chains as Brady fires downfield to Gronkowsi who makes the grab for the first down with a 15-yard reception to move his side to the Denver 14.
TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!
INCREDIBLE! The Patriots take the lead in the game reversing a 24-point deficit as Brady slings the ball out to Edelman on an out route and he makes the cut inside turning Harris inside and out to sprint into the endzone for the 14-yard score.
The Broncos go three and out as Manning throws an incompletion on second down looking for Welker but the ball flies over his head, on third he looks for a screen to Thomas but the ball falls short of the receiver, who claimed he was being pulled by Talib. He may have a point! Colquitt's punt is returned to the Denver 47 by Edelman.
The Patriots get to the 36 as Brady drills the ball to Gronkowski on an out route and he makes the grab despite being surrounded by Miller and Ihenacho.
OH MY! Woodyard has a chance to make a play for the Broncos but he can't catch the ball as it hits Vereen in the hands and bounces off and he tries three grabs at it but he can't catch. Then Patriots move to the 23 as Brady finds Vereen on a slant route.
The Patriots get a break as Webster is penalised for hands to the face of Amendola wiping away a holding penalty on Mulligan for the Patriots that put them in first and 20.
Brady fires off play-action and drills the ball to Thompkins on a slant route for an 11-yard gain to move his side to the Denver 14.
Brady tries to fire downfield on third and nine but he is pressured by Miller off the edge and his throw to Edelman is rushed and the receiver can't make the play in the endzone as the pass is slightly overthrown. Gostkowski will now attempt a 31 yarder.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Patriots 31-24 Broncos
Gostkowski fires his kick through the posts and we have a seven-point game.
Manning will start at the 20.
Manning gets away with a terrible throw that is picked of by Talib but the play is brought back for a hold by the cornerback. Blatant hold by the cornerback.
The Broncos quickly churn out 20 yards as Welker gets a first down conversion over the middle of the field while Moreno gets 16 yards up the middle to move the chains again.
Thomas gets the first down pickup this time as Manning fires a short pass to him and he makes a move to get free of Talib and manages to get 11 yards on the play.
Manning picks up a crucial third down pickup as he fires the ball in two of the tightest windows you will ever see to find Thomas for 15 yards and then Tamme for eight to move his side inside the redzone.
The Broncos get a first down as Ninkovich is guilty of pass interference against Tamme and that moves the Broncos to the Patriots' 11.
TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS!
The Broncos draw level as Manning fires to Thomas on a fade route and the receiver does brilliantly to beat Talib over the top and make the grab for the 11-yard touchdown. We're all square now!
Brady will start at the 20.
The Patriot will have a huge third down and five after the two-minute warning. One score will do it here.
The Patriots don't get the yardage and that will force Allen to punt.
Welker returns the ball to the 33. A field goal could win the game here for the Broncos.
The Broncos move to the 43 as Moreno powers through the line for a three-yard gain after Manning found Tamme for nine on first down.
The Patriots make a crucial stop on third down as Manning loops the ball up for Thomas to make a play but he can't come down with the catch, while Welker had a drop on second as well. Colquitt's punt lands at the 10 where Brady will begin.
The Pats just run out the clock and now we have overtime.
END OF FOURTH QUARTER: New England Patriots 31-31 Denver Broncos
COIN TOSS RESULT: The Patriots have chosen to kick to Manning and a touchdown will win the game for Denver.
Very interesting decision from Belichick. We'll know if he's genius or mad and cost his side the game in 15 minutes.
Moreno finds a huge hole in the middle of the line and bursts through it for 18 yards at his own 46.
The Broncos' drive comes to an end as Manning's looped pass for Thomas is batted away by Talib on third and 14 and Colquitt's punt is caught at the 19 by Edelman.
The Patriots move the chains as Brady fires a strike down the middle to Gronkowski for 14 yards to move the Patriots to their own 34.
Brady is irate at the officials as they fail to flag for pass interference on Thompkins with Jammer all over his back. On third he looks deep for Edelman but the pass falls incomplete. Allen's punt is caught at the 12 by Welker.
The Broncos move chains with a crucial third down pickup as Manning drills the ball to Thomas for the two-yard reception on third and two.
Moreno finds a huge amount of space over the middle and rips off an 18-yard carry to move his side to their 43.
Manning picks up another crucial third down as he fires to Tamme for an eight-yard reception to edge his side closer to field goal range.
The Patriots force another drive killing stop as Manning's throw in third down is broken up by Collins as he gets the crack on Welker and forces him to drop the ball. Edelman fields the ball at the 20.
The Patriots move the chains as Brady fires the ball to Edelman over the middle of the field and he gets 19 yards on the reception to take his team to their 39-yard line.
The Patriots' drive ends and that will force a punt from Allen as Brady's pass to Amendola falls short of the marker as the receiver is stopped with a good tackle.
FUMBLE! OH BOY!!! A huge error from two former Patriots, Welker and Tony Carter, allows the home side to takeover at the 18-yard line of the Broncos, as Allen's punt is deemed uncatchable but the receiver doesn't make up his mind in time and Carter coming back to cover accidentally hits it and Ebner covers.
The Patriots milk the clock and that will leave Gostkowski with a 31-yard field goal after the two-minute warning.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! PATRIOTS WIN!!!!!!!
Gostkowski nails his kick between the posts and incredibly the Patriots have pulled off the victory. One of the greatest games of all time!
FULL-TIME: New England Patriots 34-31 Denver Broncos
WHAT A GAME! I wasn't lying when I said this is one of the all-time classics. The Patriots looked down and out at half time when they were 24 points down but never count out Tom Brady and he led his team to one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history.
The Broncos will be furious with themselves for dropping this game after taking a 24-point lead as they failed to get into gear after the break and allowed Brady to lead the Patriots back. Spare a thought for Knowshon Moreno, he was incredible this evening and gave everything despite looking a bit banged up. He had 224 yards on the ground on a mammoth 37 carries, he will be sore in the morning.
The Patriots up the pressure on the Broncos and take back the second seed from the Colts with five games to play this season. Denver keep the one seed but go to Kansas City next week knowing a defeat will see them slip to the fifth seed. Who would have thought that at half time.
Thanks for joining our commentary of this amazing game of football. We'll be back tomorrow with all the action from the clash between the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers. Until then, goodbye.
