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Patriots look to trip up Broncos
The playoff run to Super Bowl XL for the Denver Broncos could come down to just that -- a run.
Or at least 30 runs.
The Broncos went 13-3 during the regular season -- 10-1 when running the football 30 times or more in a game. Their playoff opponent tonight at Invesco Field at Mile High -- the two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots -- went 10-6 during the regular season. In all six losses, teams ran the ball 30 times or more against the Patriots defense. The only team that lost to New England despite running the ball 30 times or more was the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 30. The Patriots scored off a turnover in the final 5:23 and won 21-16.
Under coach Mike Shanahan, the Broncos have gone 7-0 when running the football 30 or more times in a postseason game. The task for Patriots coach Bill Belichick and his defense -- stop the run.
Prediction: Denver 31, New England 23.
NOTEWORTHY
› The Broncos, set to play their first-ever playoff game at Invesco Field tonight, played their first-ever playoff game on Dec. 24, 1977, at Mile High Stadium against the two-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers were led by 10 future Hall of Famers -- coach Chuck Noll, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Jack Ham, Mel Blount, Joe Greene and Jack Lambert. The Broncos, however, won the game 34-21 to advance to the AFC Championship Game.
› In his playoff analysis for the Web site SI.com, former NFL coach Jim Mora wrote this about the Broncos-Patriots matchup: "(The Broncos) can get to (Patriots quarterback Tom) Brady a little bit. Jacksonville had a chance in the first half in Foxboro, because it was stopping the run and hitting Brady some. But he's so poised and so smart, and so able to make adjustments to his game to account for what people are doing to him on defense. I've never seen anything like it. He always seems to figure out how a defense is attacking him. It goes back to the fact that he thinks like an offensive coordinator."
› The "Brawlroom Boxing" card scheduled for Jan. 17 at the Sherman Street Event Complex has been postponed because of injuries to two fighters booked on the card. Promoters said they will announce a new "Brawlroom" card in the coming weeks.
› The Colorado Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Inc., will honor 11 high school scholar-athletes with $1,000 scholarships on Feb. 13 at the Marriott Denver Tech Center. New University of Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins will be the featured speaker at the event, which also will honor Jim Grieve and Guy Gibbs, and name its All-Colorado college football team. For ticket information contact Keith Jensen at 303-898-9260 or 970-724-9284, or by e-mail at nffcc_exec@msn.com.