The Nov. 1 matchup between the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers was only the fourth-ever meeting of two NFL teams both with 6-0 or better records. After dispatching of the Packers in a surprisingly dominant 29-10 effort, the Broncos now have their sights set on an unprecedented showdown with the New England Patriots. The Broncos and Patriots are on a collision course for history.
If Denver can remain undefeated over its next three games, it sets the stage for a potential Week 12 tilt with the Patriots who will likely enter the game with an identical 10-0 record. The Broncos-Packers showdown was one of just four such instances in NFL history. The 10-0 Broncos facing the 10-0 Patriots would be unlike anything the league has ever seen.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and the Patriots (including head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady) were involved in the most recent matchup of “the greatest unbeatens.” In 2007, the 8-0 Patriots visited Manning’s 7-0 Indianapolis Colts. Their combined 15-0 record when they met remains the top mark in NFL history. Manning and Brady could rewrite their own record on Nov. 29 when the two teams play on Sunday Night Football.
We went to two in-house experts to weigh the likelihood of such a historic meeting actually happening. James Merilatt, Mile High Sports columnist, and Joe Williams, co-host of The Irv and Joe Show, make their cases in the pages that follow…
Standing in the way of a matchup between the 10-0 Denver Broncos and the 10-0 New England Patriots on Nov. 29 are the following teams: Indianapolis Colts (3-5), Kansas City Chiefs (3-5) and Chicago Bears (2-5) against Denver; Washington Redskins (3-4), New York Giants (4-4) and Buffalo Bills (3-4) against New England.
“Parity may exist in parts of the NFL,” says Mile High Sports columnist James Merilatt, “but it doesn’t apply to the upper-echelon teams like the Broncos and Patriots.” Over the past three seasons, Denver and New England have combined for a 71-19 regular-season record against the rest of the NFL. Include their mutual 7-0 starts this year and that number climbs to 85-19 in the regular season since Peyton Manning joined the Denver Broncos. That’s a winning percentage of 81.7.
History aside, Merilatt says Denver is just starting to find its stride offensively, after struggling to generate points in the early part of the season. An other-worldly defense has bailed out Manning as he’s adjusted to a new hybrid offensive system and a makeshift offensive line. But Denver’s offense has started to click, as evidenced by the 27 points they scored on what was the No. 1 scoring defense at the time, Green Bay. And with the recent addition of Pro-Bowl tight end Vernon Davis, Manning has a weapon that had been mostly missing from the game plan through the first seven games.
Facing an Indianapolis defense that is giving up over 400 yards per game, Merilatt says the only “test” on the Broncos schedule between now and Nov. 29 should be the equivalent of an open-book exam. Denver also brings the No. 1 defense in total yards, passing yards and points scored, and remains relatively healthy after the bye week and beatdown of the Packers. Denver has already defeated Kansas City on the road and the Chiefs are without their biggest offensive weapon, Jamaal Charles. Chicago, meanwhile, under first-year and former Broncos head coach John Fox, seems content to play for a top-five draft pick as they try to determine their future with Jay Cutler under center.
The Patriots, meanwhile, with the No. 1 scoring offense in the league, face two NFC East opponents who’ve made a habit of handing games to opponents all year and a Bills team they’ve already defeated soundly on the road. Despite being defending Super Bowl champions, Brady and Belichick have the Pats playing with a chip on their shoulder, out to prove that they don’t need to deflate footballs to humiliate the entire league. The Patriots have won three consecutive regular season meetings with the Broncos and they want this year’s matchup to be no different. Merilatt says they’re tuning up for this massive showdown and won’t take their foot off the gas in the weeks leading up.
Joe Williams, however, thinks there’s a chance that either team – maybe even both – could suffer a loss in the three weeks before.
Before Peyton Manning and Tom Brady can rewrite history in a matchup of two 10-0 teams – bettering their own mark from 2007 – Manning has some records of his own that he needs to get out of the way. And he has a chance to break two big ones on Sunday in his old backyard, Indianapolis. Joe Williams of The Irv and Joe Show isn’t so sure that the immensity of that task won’t be overwhelming for Manning.
Rewind to 2013 and Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos were steamrolling their way to a Super Bowl berth, flying high at 6-0 and awaiting a date with Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts at The House that Peyton Built, Lucas Oil Stadium. In his first return trip to Indy after a difficult divorce, Manning was emotionally overwhelmed and the Broncos were physically overwhelmed, falling 39-33. Manning was intercepted once and Ronnie Hillman and Trindon Holliday both lost fumbles. The pressure of the moment got to everyone.
Williams wonders if the same won’t hold true when Denver travels to Indy Sunday with a chance to deliver two all-time quarterbacking records for Manning. Brett Favre leads Manning by just 283 in career passing yards and the two legendary quarterbacks are currently tied with 186 wins. How badly does Manning want to break both of those records in the place he called home for 14 years? Williams thinks the answer is incomprehensible.
The real question is whether or not Manning can keep the emotions in check enough to deliver on both of those records. As the 3-5 Colts try and remain atop the pitiful AFC South, a signature win against the undefeated Broncos could be the boost they need to propel a season turnaround. The Colts started the year with Super Bowl aspirations. This may be their Super Bowl.
On the other side sits the New England Patriots, who haven’t just won every game they’ve played this year, they’ve dominated. Their 7-0 record looks markedly different than the Broncos, who have had to scratch and claw their way to perfection. The woeful Redskins pose little threat against the Pats, but a longtime nemesis meet them in two weeks in the form of Eli Manning and the New York Giants, who get home field when they face the unbeaten Patriots. Eli has made a habit of beating Brady, winning in their last three meetings, including two Super Bowls and the infamous Super Bowl XLII that derailed a Pats’ perfect season.
Eli and Peyton are kin, Williams reminds us, and little brother would love nothing more than to hand big brother’s nemesis a loss just two weeks before the two square off in a potentially historic game. In addition to his Brady-beating penchant, Eli’s also built a reputation for stealing the spotlight from Peyton (2:1 ring ratio). Williams says he wouldn’t be totally surprised if a struggling Giants team digs deep and scratches out a win to make the showdown of two 10-0 teams only a figment of our imagination.