The Denver Post
In the moments after the Patriots thumped the Broncos in Denver on Dec. 18, the teams' two quarterbacks quickly exchanged pleasantries near midfield.
"We'll see you again," New England's Tom Brady said to Tim Tebow as they shook hands after New England's 41-23 victory.
But even Brady probably couldn't have predicted just how soon that meeting would occur. The Broncos' 29-23 victory Sunday against Pittsburgh set up a rematch with the Patriots, the No. 1 seed in the AFC. This time the game will be played in prime time at Foxborough, Mass.
"After that game, they knew if we made the playoffs we'd be playing each other again, and it was talked about back and forth," Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams said. "It's a mutual respect, but we're going there to win."
The Broncos have plenty of not-so-pleasant memories from their last game against New England, both on offense and defense. That game ended the team's six-game winning streak, and players at the time described the loss as a wake-up call — a realization of what it meant to play against one of the NFL's elite teams.
Denver, after scoring two first-quarter touchdowns, lost three turnovers in the second quarter of that game on fumbles by Tebow, running back Lance Ball and punt returner Quan Cosby. Those mistakes quickly led to 17 New England points, and Denver's early lead disappeared by halftime.
The Broncos' defense had no answer for New England's tight ends (Aaron Hernandez had nine catches for 129 yards) and Brady (320 passing yards, two touchdowns and one rushing touchdown).
"One thing about them is they have a smart quarterback, a smart coaching staff, so they're going to find your holes. It's tough," cornerback Champ Bailey said. "We've got a nice chess match coming up next week."
And then consider this: The game will pit the Broncos against their former head coach, Josh McDaniels, for the first time.
The Patriots announced Sunday they had hired McDaniels as an offensive assistant after McDaniels was released from his contract in St. Louis. McDaniels was fired by the Broncos in early December 2010, but coached more than 30 of the players on Denver's active roster last season.
"It's funny how things play out, but we can't really get caught up in all of that. We just have to play football," wide receiver Eddie Royal said.
Though the Patriots will be a heavy favorite — perhaps as much as two touchdowns — there are weaknesses. New England finished the regular season ranked second-to-last in yards allowed (411.1 per game) and passing yards allowed (293.9) and allowed more than 117 rushing yards per game. The Broncos rushed for 252 yards on 31 attempts against New England in December.
With the confidence of Sunday's victory against the Steelers, Broncos players left Sports Authority Field at Mile High believing their second game against the Patriots could end differently.
"We're the same team, we just play different," Bailey said. "We play harder. Smarter. More physical. That's the only way you can play in these playoffs."
Read more: Tim Tebow, Broncos set for rematch vs. Tom Brady, Patriots - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_19702297#ixzz1irECxxLF
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