DENVER (6-1) at NEW ENGLAND (6-2)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
OPENING LINE -- Broncos by 3
RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Denver 4-3, New England 4-4
SERIES RECORD -- Broncos lead 28-20
LAST MEETING -- Broncos beat Patriots 26-16, AFC championship game, Jan. 19, 2014
LAST WEEK -- Broncos beat Chargers 35-21; Patriots beat Bears 51-23
AP PRO32 RANKING -- Broncos No. 1, Patriots No. 3
BRONCOS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (6), RUSH (21), PASS (3).
BRONCOS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (4), RUSH (1), PASS (17).
PATRIOTS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (10), RUSH (17), PASS (10).
PATRIOTS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (12), RUSH (25), PASS (2).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- First game in NFL history matching quarterbacks with more than 150 regular-season wins. Patriots QB Tom Brady is 10-5 against Broncos QB Peyton Manning, 8-3 in regular season. ... Teams meet for fourth straight regular season, with Patriots winning previous three games. Broncos beat Patriots in AFC championship game last January, 26-16. ... New England staged its biggest comeback last Nov. 24 with 34-31 OT victory after trailing Denver 24-0 at halftime. ... Denver leads NFL with 32 points per game, Patriots third with 29.8 ... Manning tied for longest streak in NFL history with 13 games of two or more TD passes. Can tie Johnny Unitas for third-longest streak with one TD pass at 47 games. ... RB Ronnie Hillman rushed for at least 100 yards in two of last three games. ... WR Demaryius Thomas has 34 receptions for 626 yards, five TDs in last four games. ...LB Von Miller is second in NFL with nine sacks, DE DeMarcus Ware tied for fifth with seven. ... Broncos have fourth-ranked defense in NFL, best against run. ... WR Emmanuel Sanders caught nine passes for 120 yards and career-best three TDs in last game. ... Julius Thomas tied for NFL lead with nine TDs, needs one to become first TE in Denver history with 10 in consecutive seasons. ... Brady going for 155th win in 200th regular-season start, will pass Manning's 136 wins in first 200 starts as most in NFL. ... At home, Brady is 87-13 as starter. ... Patriots seek 34th consecutive regular-season win at home against AFC opponent. ... Brady coming off one of best games of career with 30 completions in 35 attempts for 354 yards, five TDs, no INTs and 148.4 rating. In last four games, all wins, he has 14 TD passes and no INTs. ... WR Brandon LaFell had 11 catches vs. Chicago and has TD in four of past five games. TE Rob Gronkowski had nine catches for 149 yards, three TDs against Bears. ... Patriots scored on first six possessions and led Chicago 45-7. ... Patriots top tackler LB Jerod Mayo out for season and leading sacker DE Chandler Jones sidelined with hip injury. Patriots traded with Tampa Bay for LB Jonathan Casillas and signed DL Alan Branch during week.
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