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SPORTSTuesday 26 January 2016
Denver’s defense carries Manning back to the Super Bowl
ARNIE STAPLETON Denver Broncos tight end Owen Daniels (81) catches a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarter- game, too.
Associated Press back Peyton Manning during the first half the NFL football AFC Championship game between the “You want to help the
DENVER (AP) — Peyton Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016, in Denver. The Broncos beat team win. You don’t want
Manning is glad he doesn’t the Patriots 20-18. to be the reason you lose,”
have to face Denver’s diz- said Gostkowski, who had
zying defense. Tom Brady jaw-rattling hit, a batted boss, John Elway. olina Panthers (17-1), who made an NFL-record 523
wasn’t so lucky. down pass and a sack. “Me, personally, I think he throttled the, Arizona Car- consecutive PATs before
The Broncos bashed Brady “He was rattled,” said Aqib still has it, although the crit- dinals 49-15 to reach their sending fluttering one wide
throughout a 20-18 de- Talib, whose deflected ics say he doesn’t have it,” first Super Bowl. right in the first quarter. “It’s
throning of the New Eng- pass on Brady’s 2-point try receiver Emmanuel Sand- “I’ve enjoyed playing on not a good feeling. I de-
land Patriots in the AFC settled into Bradley Roby’s ers said. “You want to talk the same team as that serve all the blame that I
championship Sunday that hands. “I don’t think I’ve about a guy that started defense,” Manning said of get and I’ll try to hold my
sent Denver to a record- ever seen anybody put the season off 7-0 and is his teammates. “I’m glad I head up high.”
tying eighth Super Bowl. that much pressure on Tom now he is going to the Su- haven’t had to face them Gostkowski’s teammates
Von Miller’s monster perfor- — ever. So, I think we did per Bowl. At age 39 or 40 or this season, I’ll say that. refused to blame him for
mance led the way for a a hell of a job getting that 70 or how ever old he is, no They’ve been challenging failing to get Brady and Bill
dominant defense that hit pressure on him. That’s why matter what, he gets the to go against in practice.” Belichick their 23rd playoff
Brady 23 times and forced we’re going to the ‘ship.” job done.” Brady praised not only win.
him into 29 incompletions, Along with Manning, who Two months shy of 40, he’s Denver’s front seven, but “No one is perfect. That’s
two fourth-down flops and was hit just four times and also trying to supplant El- its star-studded secondary. just life. We’re all going to
two costly interceptions, threw two TD passes to tight way as the oldest QB ever “It was just tough for us to make mistakes,” corner-
one of them on a failed end Owen Daniels. to win a Lombardi Trophy. ever get in a rhythm,” said back Malcolm Butler said.
2-point try that would have Manning is seeking his sec- Standing in their way is Brady, who fell to 11-6 in “We’re in this together.”
tied it with 12 seconds left. ond ring and his third for his Cam Newton and the Car- his storied rivalry with Man- GRONK CRAMPS UP: In the
“Von played phenomenal ning, including 1-3 in con- second half, with the Patri-
today,” safety T.J. Ward ference championships. ots trying to mount a come-
said. “I have never seen a Other takeaways from back, Rob Gronkowski was
performance like that from Denver’s second AFC title on the sideline, face-down,
one player.” in three years: while a trainer massaged
Miller had 2 1/2 sacks, four NOT SO AUTOMATIC: The his legs.
quarterback hits, a pass reliable Stephen Gostkows- The best tight end in the
breakup and a takeaway ki missed a rare extra point game had fallen victim
that turned into a touch- early in the game, one that to the mile-high air and a
down. haunted the Patriots the bad case of the cramps.
“I tell you, I can do it all,” rest of the way. He came back and made
Miller said with a wry smile. He took it hard after the more than his share of plays
“I’m just playing.” — most notably the 40-
But he wasn’t kidding. yard catch down the seam
Denver’s defense is no on fourth-and-10 during
joke. “Defense wins cham- New England’s late scoring
pionships,” Chris Harris Jr. drive, then the 4-yard grab
said, repeating the man- for a touchdown that gave
tra in case anybody still the Patriots a chance to tie
doubts Denver. the game.
DeMarcus Ware added Eight catches for 144 yards
seven hits on Brady, includ- is nothing to apologize for.
ing a sandwich sack with Still, the loss — and those
Miller, and Derek Wolfe set cramps — will hurt Gronk
the early tone with a huge, for a while.
“As an athlete, you just
don’t want that to hap-
pen,” he said.
KEO’S K.O. — Street free
agent Shiloh Keo has more
than made up for surren-
dering the game-winning
TD in a 15-12 loss to Oak-
land five days after joining
Denver’s defense when an
injury epidemic took out
several of their safeties.q
