FOXBORO — Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning’s arm strength will deteriorate over the course of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Patriots.
They can count on it.
It’s of paramount importance for the Patriots to force Manning to wear out that balky right wing as early as possible, and they’ve got to do their part in the running game to press that issue. The problem there, though, is two-fold, as linebackers Dont’a Hightower (sprained MCL) and Jamie Collins (back) are a bit gimpy and Broncos coach Gary Kubiak has historically had success against Bill Belichick’s run defense.
In 12 meetings since 2000, Kubiak’s teams have averaged 28.