It had to be Peyton Manning vs Tom Brady for the AFC title didn't it? Two of the most iconic quarterbacks in the modern era lock horns yet again as the Denver Broncos host the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game in the NFL on Sunday.
Where to Watch Live
The game is scheduled for a 3 pm ET (1.30 am IST Monday morning) start with live coverage on CBS in the US. There is no live coverage in India, and no official live streaming option either. Viewers in the US can catch the action live online free HERE courtesy CBS. Viewers in the UK have the option of live streaming the AFC Championship game HERE. International viewers can live stream the game HERE.
Manning is coming off a record-breaking regular season, a campaign which saw him better the single-season mark of 50 touchdowns, set by Brady, of course, by throwing 55 TDs.
"He's a great player, they've got a great team and one of the best offenses in history," Brady said of Manning and the Broncos. "What that means for us is we better be ready to score some points because that's what they do best."
Manning, one of the most respected players in the sport, reciprocated his admiration for his equally illustrious compatriot. "The one thing that jumps out about Tom is just his consistency," Manning said. "I feel like he's been a better player each year than he was the year before, and that, to me, speaks to his work ethic in the offseason, his refusal to be complacent or satisfied.
"He always feels he can step his game up one level higher, which (in) some of the seasons he's had you say, 'How can you get better than that?' But I think he has done that."
The Broncos got to the AFC Championship game courtesy a 24-17 win over the San Diego Chargers last weekend, and after some recent disappointments in the playoffs, Manning and co. will be keen to ensure they take this ridiculous offence all the way to the Super Bowl.
The Patriots, who eased past the Indianapolis Colts last weekend, will probably start as the slight underdogs, owing mainly to the fact that they are playing in Broncos' home stadium, and Brady is more than happy with going under the radar.
"I'm sure no one's going to pick us to win this week," Brady said. "We've had our backs against the wall for a while. Really, the whole season we've lost players, and teams have really counted us out."
Brady leads the head-to-head with Manning 2-1 in the postseason, with the team playing at home winning all three times; so the odds seem to be in favour of the Broncos then, just.
