They are favorites, but Manning and the Bronco’s offense have an uphill climb in New England this Sunday.
Peyton Manning is a masterful quarterback and headed to the Hall of Fame, but those in the know realize that his track record in outdoor games is checkered with failures, especially later in the NFL season when winter weather creeps into the U.S.
Challenging weather conditions are nothing new to Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots team as a whole.Belichick may say he doesn’t trust the weatherman, but I can guarantee you he listens to him.
Remember ‘The Tuck Rule Game’ during a Foxboro snowstorm against the Raiders in the 2001 AFC Playoff game? This is a great example of New England’s notoriety for periods of wicked weather during NFL games, especially when a Nor’Easter runs up the east coast. Wicked weather is what we will have this Sunday as strong low pressure passes just east of the Massachusetts coastline.
Powerful NW winds at 20 to 30+ mph on the backside of this intense low will create difficult, if not impossible passing conditions, at times, in Foxboro. This will create a diagonal yet swirling wind across the stadium that will play tricks on the ball as it is in the air. Combine these winds with temperatures only in the 40s, and you get the potential for ice cold passing and kicking games. Both teams will likely find it challenging to score, but history shows that the visiting team in Foxboro will find much fewer opportunities to cross the goal line, this will include the high powered ’14 Broncos offense.
Don’t forget, the Broncos not only have to contend with these challenging weather conditions, but Manning & Co. also need to battle with a roaring crowd and a tough as nails Patriots defensive backfield.
With all this being said, you will want to temper your expectations for both offenses on Sunday, especially the Broncos offense. Meanwhile, that 3 point spread that Denver is giving New England will likely loom large in this contest. I simply can’t imagine the Patriots losing this game by more than 3 points. Quite frankly, they will likely win this game straight up if not blow out the Broncos.
Article written by Thomas G. Novak of WeatherNFL
Twitter: @weatherNFL
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