Patriots vs. Broncos: 6 Sources of Worry

5. Peyton Manning drinking from a fountain of youth

At age 39, Manning is not the player he once was, even just a year or two ago. Understandably, the future Hall of Famer has been the target of criticism throughout the season, enough so for Gary Kubiak to bench him in favor of Brock Osweiler at one point. However, Manning should not be underestimated in the playoffs.

Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning rivalry: Analyzing playoff history

It’s not hard to imagine a scenario playing out in this game in which Manning takes advantage of the Patriots throwing an extra defensive back in the box to defend the run. Demaryius Thomas may get jittery at the beginning of games, but he’s fully capable of winning a one-on-one matchup with Logan Ryan. And don’t forget that Emmanuel Sanders had the upper hand in his matchup against Malcolm Butler back in Week 12.

The main takeaway here is that Manning may be appearing in his final postseason, but he cannot be shrugged off as a weak-armed quarterback. The Patriots must respect the gas that is still left in Manning’s tank, or else they could find themselves on the losing end of this game.

Next: 4. Denver ground game