Prior to yesterday, the Denver Broncos had gone 5-0 four times in team history, and all four times they made it to the Super Bowl.  With their 20-17 overtime win against the New England Patriots, fans have reason to hope this team can accomplish what was thought to be impossible.

The fifth win for the Broncos may have been the most unlikely of them all.

Tom Brady had started 75 games in which the Patriots led after three quarters, and lost only one.

Brady had never lost an overtime game.

The Patriots had only lost one game in which Brady, Wes Welker, and Randy Moss play.

Still, on the coldest week five game in NFL history, the Denver Broncos proved doubters and haters wrong once again, and for once it was the New England Patriots getting a taste of their own medicine.

Game Recap

The first half was all Patriots.  New England controlled the clock, and for the most part they made the number one defense in the NFL look out of sorts.

Denver had a decent drive going on their opening possession, but kicker Matt Prater was unable to capitalize on his first field goal attempt of the day, leaving the Patriots with good field position.

Tom Brady made the Broncos pay.

A big screen pass to Sammy Morris set the Patriots up for a quick strike touchdown from Brady to Wes Welker to get New England a 7-0 lead.

Rookie tailback Knowshon Moreno fumbled on the ensuing drive for the second straight game, and the Patriots took advantage of the turnover with a career-long 53-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski, increasing their lead to 10-0.

The Broncos started the scoring in the second quarter, capping off a 10 play, 90 yard drive with an 11 yard fade pass from Kyle Orton to none other than Brandon Marshall, who scored for the third straight game.

New England fired back later in the quarter when Brady hit tight end Benjamin Watson on a seven yard pass, capping off a 10 play drive of their own to essentially end the half.

The Broncos had a very impressive 12-play, 66 yard drive going when they were unable to convert on third and short, and they settled for a 24-yard Prater field goal to decrease the margin to 17-10.

In the fourth quarter, the Broncos were pinned on their own two-yard line and Kyle Orton orchestrated the Broncos’ most impressive drive of the season.

Denver went 98 yards in 12 plays, and Brandon Marshall once again capped off the huge drive with an 11 yard touchdown reception, his second of the day, tying the game at 17 apiece.

Now the Broncos had to stop Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, who started their final drive at their own 30-yard line.

The first play of the drive, Sammy Morris scampered 19 yards to the 49, putting the Patriots in an optimum situation to win the game with another fifteen yards of offense.

It appeared Brady and New England would do it again.

On the following play, Morris took the ball up the middle and Wesley Woodyard forced the ball out, but the Broncos were unable to capitalize and the Patriots recovered.

The very next play, Tom Brady dropped back to pass, and Denver defensive end Vonnie Holliday came up with the team’s first sack of the game and forced a fumble of Tom Brady.

This time, the Broncos took advantage.

Elvis Dumervil fell on the ball, setting the Broncos up in Patriot territory with over a minute to play.

The Patriots’ defense also came to play, and they shut down any chance the Broncos would have of scoring a game-winning field goal in regulation.

We had overtime.

The Broncos won the coin toss in bonus play, and started with the ball on their own 20-yard line.

After ten plays, kicker Matt Prater took the field to attempt a 41-yard field goal to win the game for Denver.  His kick could not have been more perfect, and the Broncos took the game 20-17 in overtime.

Random Game Thoughts

Quarterback Kyle Orton played his best game as a Bronco, completing 35-of-48 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns.  He also threw his first interception of the season, but it came on a “Hail Mary” play at the end of the first half.

Orton was pin-point with his passes, and he got everyone involved.

Eddie Royal tripled his season total in receptions, catching ten on the game for 90 yards.  Brandon Marshall had 8 receptions for 64 yards and two touchdowns.  Jabar Gaffney caught six passes for 61 yards.

I was actually extremely surprised that Denver did not score more than they did.  They had 424 yards of total offense, and other than the fumble by Knowshon Moreno, they did not turn the ball over.

The Broncos’ defense continued its impressive play, but this time they did not have any sacks until the fourth quarter.  One of my “Keys to Victory” for them was putting heat on Tom Brady, and they did not do that very well.

For the most part, Brady had time to knit a sweater and call home while he waited for a receiver to get open, or that’s what it seemed like at least.

The Broncos got their stops though, and they did not allow the Patriots to score the entire second half.

For the first time this season, the Broncos lost the turnover margin, and the Patriots were 53-of-53 in their previous games when they won the turnover margin.

As high as I am on Knowshon Moreno, the Broncos missed Correll Buckhalter.  They did not incorporate Peyton Hillis like I thought they would, but Moreno did a very nice job.  He ran the ball 21 times for 88 yards, 11 of which came at a crucial point of their overtime drive.

A defensive player who has been hot the last two weeks, other than Champ Bailey, is fellow cornerback Jack Williams who made some great plays.  The Broncos have a very formidable secondary, and Williams is great depth.

One stat that really stood out to me was that Denver had 27 first downs to the Patriots’ 18, which is a substantial difference.

Another one of my “Keys to Victory” was getting off the field on third down defensively, and the Broncos were able to hold the Patriots to a 35 percent conversion rate, which is over 11 percent lower than their season average heading into this game.

Inversely, Denver converted 42 percent of their third down plays, and that was critical in them winning this game.

Final Rant

This game was a statement game for the Broncos, although it shouldn’t have been.  Denver has proven they are an elite team thus far, and they did it prior to this game.

The bandwagon is sure to be overflowing after this win, and the Broncos are set up for a prime time matchup with San Diego next Monday night.

This team still has a lot to prove and a lot  to work on, which is encouraging for the fans.  Denver is 5-0 and has a long way to reach its full potential.

A magical win in what so far has been a magical season.  Denver is not just a surprise anymore, they are legitimate AFC contenders.

The Denver Broncos (4-0, First Place AFC West) are set to play host to the Boston Patriots (3-1, Second Place AFC East) in an old-school style AFL matchup. The Broncos will be wearing an odd shade of yellow and brown while the Patriots will be wearing their old uniforms as well.

Denver is coming off of a huge win at home last week against the Dallas Cowboys when wide receiver Brandon Marshall made probably the play of the week and gave the Broncos a 16-10 lead late in the fourth quarter.  Even more impressive was the goal line stand from Denver led by cornerback Champ Bailey who knocked away passes on third and fourth down to seal the victory for the Broncos.

New England or “Boston” is coming off of an impressive victory against the previously undefeated Baltimore Ravens as well as a victory over the then undefeated Atlanta Falcons.  Even before that, the Patriots played the undefeated New York Jets and the 0-0 Buffalo Bills, so this game could even be considered their fifth straight against an undefeated team.

The Patriots have played a grueling schedule while the Broncos have been criticized for not having the best competition they could on the way to their 4-0 start.

This game is shaping up to be the game of the week, and if the Broncos are going to win, they are going to have to do it without the leading rusher in the AFC West:  Correll Buckhalter.

Likewise, the Patriots are without starting running back and big free agent signee Fred Taylor, who is getting ready to have surgery on his ankle.  His absence will mean the second straight year New England has lost its starting back to injury, and he will be replaced by a combination of Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, and Laurence Maroney.

This game is being dubbed the “Battle of the Hoodies” for obvious reasons.  Josh McDaniels is the latest branch of the Bill Belichick coaching tree to face his mentor, and both coaches have had great things to say about each other throughout the week.

Still, this game is a business, and all friendships will be thrown out the door for sixty minutes on Sunday afternoon, and the former Patriots assistant coach is sure to have his hands full.

Here are the keys to victory for the Broncos in week five.

1.  Get off the field on third down defensively

The Patriots’ offense, led by quarterback Tom Brady, is averaging a stellar 45.8 percent success rate in third down situations, and they get it done in a variety of ways.  Brady has Wes Welker coming out of the slot, Randy Moss and Joey Galloway on the outside, and a variety of good pass-receiving backs who can pick up big yardage on screen plays.

Defensively, the Broncos are holding opponents to a similarly staggering 26.4 percent success rate.  Denver’s defense is fast, athletic, and smart, and they are led by a host of veterans including D.J. Williams, Elvis Dumervil, Champ Bailey, and Brian Dawkins.

If the Broncos are going to create opportunities for their offense, they are going to need to get off the field on third down.  The Denver defense has allowed a mere two touchdowns so far this season, and only 26 points overall.  It remains to be seen if this unit is of the “bend, don’t break” variety or the “elite” variety.

Based on the numbers, we are forced to believe they are elite.  Despite playing two of the worst teams in the NFL in consecutive weeks, the Broncos allowed opponents into the red zone a total of six times in four weeks, twice because of fumbles inside the 25 yard line.

The Broncos struggled in the first quarter against Dallas against the screen pass, and they are going to need to get ahead on New England early.  Limiting screen passes and underneath routes will be crucial to victory.

2.  Keep the Heat on Tom Brady

The Broncos lead the NFL in sacks this season, and they are led in that category by fourth year player Elvis Dumervil who is in just his first season as an outside linebacker in the NFL.

Dumervil is tied for the NFL lead with eight individual sacks, and his production on Sunday will be big for the Broncos.

This revamped front seven will be going up against a very solid offensive line and a quarterback who excels at making quick decisions.  Any pressure they choose to apply will have to come early, often, and with help on the short passes.

Denver certainly has the cornerbacks to keep up with New England’s wide receivers, and the return of Alphonso Smith to the lineup really helps the Broncos.  Smith played very well at the start of this season as the nickel cornerback, and he could be a name called a lot on Sunday.

The Broncos will have to disguise their pressure, and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan has done a superb job of that so far this season.

3.  Kyle Orton and Knowshon Moreno

These two players are going to be absolutely critical for the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

On one hand, Orton is going to need to play his very best against a defense that ranks in the top ten in many major categories.  The Patriot defense, though battered right now is one that is athletic and aggressive.  The Broncos will have to use a variety of short passes, screens, and halfback delays to offset that aggressiveness.

Orton needs to be precise with his passes.  He has a great arsenal at his disposal, and now that his finger appears to be fully healed (first week without glove on throwing hand) we assume his throws will be at the very least more comfortable.

Eddie Royal, the rookie phenom from 2008, has been getting blanketed by opposing defenses but with the recent emergence of Brandon Marshall on the outside and the potential return of Brandon Stokley, teams will no longer be able to key in directly on Royal.

This will help Orton with his short passing game, and another player who will help the Broncos with the aggressive style of New England is rookie running back Knowshon Moreno, who was recently named Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week for his performance against Dallas.

Moreno has come along, slowly to be sure, but he is getting there.  He is an extremely talented back who runs with a purpose, and who is extremely versatile.  The Broncos are going to need a big game from the rookie on Sunday as they attempt to control the clock with their fourth ranked running game.

Team Advantages

Quarterback:  Patriots

Running Back:  Push (due to injury to Buckhalter)

Wide Receiver:  Push

Tight End:  Broncos

Offensive Line:  Broncos

Defensive Line:  Patriots

Linebacker:  Broncos

Cornerback:  Broncos

Safety:  Broncos

Special Teams:  Patriots

Advantage:  Broncos

This is an intriguing matchup to me.  The Broncos have a lot of advantages at the skill positions, but you can never count the Patriots out with Tom Brady under center and Bill Belichick in his headset.

Denver is an upstart team who is riding an emotional victory, and New England is in a similar situation after a close encounter with the Baltimore Ravens.  The Broncos have the advantage of their home turf in this contest, which is a lot more significant when you are a mile above sea level compared to other venues.

The Patriots are a very talented team, but Denver’s defense may be too much, and I think the offense is poised for a breakout.

It will be a fun game to watch, to be sure.