What You Need to Know About Sunday Night's New England Patriots Game Against the Denver Broncos

Editor’s Note: Information in this article was provided by Patriots Media Relations.

The New England Patriots improved to 10-0 with a 20-13 win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football and will play in front of a nationally-televised audience for a second straight week when they travel to play the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football.

The Patriots have reached at least 10 regular-season wins for the 13th consecutive season in 2015. San Francisco (16 - 1983-1998) is the only other team to accomplish the feat.

Bill Belichick has now coached the Patriots to 13 straight seasons with 10 or more wins, adding to his NFL record. George Seifert has the second most consecutive 10-win seasons with eight from 1989-1996, with San Francisco. Belichick has twelve 11-win seasons and needs one more to tie Don Shula for the most 11-win seasons with 13.

Through 10 games, the Patriots have allowed 182 points, the fewest of any other NFL team in 2015. New England’s defense is allowing just 14 points per game over its last four contests and is allowing just 18.2 points per game on the season.

To help you get ready for Sunday night’s game here is what you need to know.

Broadcast Information
TELEVISION: This week’s game will be broadcast by NBC and can be seen locally on WHDH-TV Channel 7 in Boston. Al Michaels will handle play-by-play duties with Cris Collinsworth as the color analyst. Michele Tafoya will work the sidelines. The game will be produced by Fred Gaudelli and directed by Drew Esocoff.

NATIONAL RADIO: This week’s game will be broadcast to a national audience on Westwood One Sports. Kevin Kugler and James Lofton will call the game.

LOCAL RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. Play-by-play broadcaster Bob Socci will call the action along with former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak, who will provide color analysis. Produced by Marc Cappello.

Finishing Strong

Since 2001, the Patriots have done a remarkable job of finishing the season strong, compiling an NFL-best 86-22 (.796) record in games on or after Thanksgiving. New England is the only team in the NFL with a win percentage above .700 over that span.

BEST RECORDS ON OR AFTER THANKSGIVING SINCE 2001 (Includes regular season and playoffs)

1. New England 86 22 0 .796
2. Pittsburgh 67 32 0 .677
3. Green Bay 62 37 0 .626
4. San Diego 55 34 0 .618
5. Philadelphia 59 38 0 .608

Series History

The New England Patriots and Denver Broncos will meet for the 50th time overall and for the seventh time since 2011, including four regular-season games and two playoff games. The Patriots are 5-1 in those games with the only loss coming in the 2013 AFC Championship Game, a 26-16 Denver win. This week’s game will also mark the Patriots first visit to Denver since then.

Last season, Denver traveled to Gillette Stadium on Nov. 2, 2014 with the Patriots taking a 43-21 victory.

The teams have met in the regular season in each of the last four years with the Patriots winning all four games. The teams met twice in 2011 and 2013 with a divisional postseason game in 2011 and the AFC Championship Game meeting in 2013.

The Patriots and Broncos have played in 45 regular-season games with Denver holding a 25-20 edge and four postseason games with Denver in front, 3-1. The Patriots and Broncos will meet on Sunday Night Football for the fourth time overall and for the first time since 2013 when the Patriots came back from a 24-point deficit to beat the Broncos, 34-31, in overtime, the greatest comeback in team history. The Patriots and Broncos have played in three divisional playoff games in addition to the 2013 AFC Championship Game. The Patriots’ one postseason victory was during the 2011 season at Gillette Stadium.

Of the 49 previous games in the series, 28 have been played in Denver. The Patriots are 9-19 in those games.

The Patriots have played more games against the Broncos than any other team that has never been in New England’s division.

The history between the teams dates back to the first days of the American Football League in 1960. The Patriots played the Broncos in the inaugural game of each franchise, a 13-10 Denver win on Sept. 9, 1960, at BU Field. The teams squared off twice a year in the decade prior to the AFL-NFL merger, except for 1967 and 1969.

Quick Hits

• In Belichick’s first two wins at Denver (10/1/00 and 11/3/03), he took intentional safeties in the second half to help secure the win.

Brady vs. Denver

Tom Brady is 4-5 against the Broncos in the regular season and 1-2 against Denver in the postseason following a 2005 AFC Divisional playoff loss in Denver, the 2011 AFC Divisional victory at Gillette Stadium and the 2013 AFC Championship Game. Denver is the only team that Brady has a losing record against.

Brady vs. Manning

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have had many epic games against each other over the course of their careers. This week’s game will be the third overall Brady-Manning game since Peyton Manning’s departure from the Indianapolis Colts. Despite playing in separate divisions following the 2002 NFL division reformatting, the Patriots and the Colts played each other an astounding 17 times since 2001 overall. With the exception of the 2011 regular season matchup—a game which Peyton Manning missed due to a neck injury—and the 2008 regular season game that Tom Brady missed following an ACL tear, Brady and Manning have started at quarterback for their respective teams in every game dating back to Sept. 30, 2001. Sunday’s game between the Patriots and the Broncos will mark the 16th time that Brady and Manning have started opposite one another.

Although Manning holds a regular-season advantage over Brady in touchdowns, yards and completions, the Patriots have won eight of the 11 regular season games in which the two quarterbacks have faced each other.

Brady and Manning have also faced each other four times in the postseason. The Patriots are 2-2 in those four playoff games with Brady posting a better passer rating (85.1) than Manning (74.8).

Connections

NEW ENGLAND TIES

• Broncos offensive coordinator Rick Dennison began his coaching career as an assistant at Suffield (Conn.) Academy from 1992-94.

DENVER TIES

• Patriots OL Nate Solder attended Buena Vista (Colo.) HS, where he was a standout tight end and middle linebacker. He also lettered three times in basketball, averaging 15 points and eight rebounds as a senior when the team won the league and district championships. He lettered twice in baseball at BVHS, playing first base and pitching. In addition to his athletic achievements, Solder boasted a 3.93-grade point average as a member of the National Honor Society, and some of his paintings and sculptures earned all-state honors. He went on to play collegiately at the University of Colorado, where he moved from tight end to tackle as a sophomore after adding 30 pounds of bulk. Solder was elected team captain for his final two seasons, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors as a junior and consensus first-team All-American honors as a senior. He was also a finalist for the Outland Trophy (best offensive lineman) and the William V. Campbell Trophy (considered the Academic Heisman) as a senior in 2010.
• Patriots assistant strength and conditioning coach Moses Cabrera served in the same position at the University of Colorado in 2010.

FORMER PATRIOTS

• Broncos CB Aqib Talib was acquired by the Patriots from Tampa Bay in a trade on Nov. 1, 2012. He started 13 games in his first and only full season with the club in 2013, compiling 41 tackles, four interceptions, 14 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery en route to earning his first Pro Bowl nod.

FORMER BRONCOS

• Patriots head coach Bill Belichick served as assistant special teams/ assistant to the defensive coordinator for the Broncos in 1978, when the team went 10-6 and won the AFC West.
• Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was the head coach of the Broncos from 2009-10.
• Patriots DT Sealver Siliga spent the entire 2011 season on the Broncos practice squad and then spent the entire 2012 season on the Broncos active roster, appearing in one game and recording one tackle. On Aug. 20, 2013, he was traded by Denver to Seattle in exchange for OL John Moffitt.

FORMER NFL TEAMMATES

• Patriots WR Danny Amendola spent the entire regular season on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad in 2008, when Broncos DE Demarcus Ware established career highs in Dallas with 69 solo tackles, 20 sacks (eighth highest single-season total in NFL history) and six forced fumbles.
• Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears (wide receivers) and Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville (offensive quality control) coached together on the Chicago Bears staff from 1997-98.
• Patriots WR Keshawn Martin (2012-14), Broncos T Ryan Harris (2012- 13) and Broncos TE Owen Daniels (2006-13) were offensive teammates with the Houston Texans. During his time there, Martin worked with Broncos offensive coordinator Rick Dennison (offensive coordinator, 2010-13), Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak (head coach, 2006-13) and Broncos assistant wide receivers coach Marc Lubick (assistant wide receivers, 2012-13).
• Patriots DL Alan Branch and Broncos DE Antonio Smith were defensive teammates with the Arizona Cardinals from 2007-08.
• Patriots assistant special teams coach Ray Ventrone (safety) and Broncos S T.J. Ward were teammates in the Cleveland Browns secondary from 2010-12.
• Patriots TE Scott Chandler played for Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips when Phillips served as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 2010.
• Broncos special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis tutored Patriots LB Jon Bostic when DeCamillis served as assistant head coach/special teams coordinator for the Chicago Bears from 2013-14. Bostic also worked closely with Broncos linebackers coach Reggie Herring in 2014 when Herring held the same role for the Bears.
• Broncos offensive line coach Clancy Barone tutored with Patriots TE Scott Chandler when Barone served as the tight ends coach for the San Diego Chargers in 2007. H Patriots defensive line coach Brendan Daly (2012-13), Broncos outside linebackers coach Fred Pagac (2012-13) and Broncos defensive backs coach Joe Woods (2006-13) worked together as members of the Minnesota Vikings defensive coaching staff.
• Broncos wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert tutored with Patriots WR Brandon LaFell when Tolbert served as the wide receivers coach for the Carolina Panthers in 2010.

FORMER COLLEGE TEAMMATES

• Patriots S Patrick Chung and Broncos S T.J. Ward played together in the Oregon secondary from 2005-08. They were close friends in college and still keep in touch today.
• Patriots WR Chris Harper and Broncos RB C.J. Anderson were offensive teammates at California in 2012.
• Patriots DB Justin Coleman and Broncos DE Malik Jackson were defensive teammates at Tennessee in 2011.
• Broncos LB Lerentee McCray (2008, 2010-12), Patriots LB Jon Bostic (2009-12) and Patriots DL Dominique Easley (2010-13) were defensive teammates at Florida.
• Patriots DL Geneo Grissom and Broncos LB Corey Nelson were defensive teammates at Oklahoma from 2011-13.
• Patriots T Nate Solder and Broncos T Tyler Polumbus were teammates on the offensive line at Colorado from 2006-07.
• Patriots DB Nate Ebner and Broncos CB Bradley Roby were defensive teammates at Ohio State from 2010-11.
• Patriots WR Danny Amendola and Broncos G Louis Vasquez were offensive teammates at Texas Tech in 2007.