The chatter began almost immediately after the Broncos and Patriots learned of their impending rematch. There was the talk of tight end Rob Gronkowski getting away with pushing off. There was talk of the Broncos' defense aiming for his legs. There was the labeling of Tom Brady as a "crybaby," a comment that inevitably led to photoshopped New York tabloid covers.
But buried under the pile of barbs and cheap shots is a reality: The Broncos' league-leading pass defense (199.6 yards per game) faces a big challenge Sunday — one it had a taste of in previous meetings with New England and one the Kansas City Chiefs were unable to overcome in their divisional playoff loss Saturday.