Boston Sports Then and Now

With Fred Taylor out of the lineup, look for Kevin Faulk to get more carries this week.

Overview: For the third straight week, the New England Patriots are facing an undefeated opponent. They were able to dispatch both the Falcons and Ravens at home, but this time must go on the road to stop the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos have looked dominant defensively and functional on offense, but you have to question the quality of their opponents. Only the Cincinnati Bengals have a winning record and the Broncos won that game on a fluke play in the final minute.

This is a matchup of mentor and protégé, as Josh McDaniels will be facing Bill Belichick after serving on his staff since 2001.

Last Week: The Patriots held on in the final minutes to edge the Baltimore Ravens 27-21. The Patriots aren’t yet the offensive juggernaut from 2007, but they are improving and starting to regain their championship swagger. Tom Brady had another solid game with 258 yards passing and a touchdown, but the running game continues to be a question mark.

The Broncos used a late touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall to defeat the Dallas Cowboys 17-10. Kyle Orton put together another solid game completing 20 of 29 passes for 243 yards and two scores. The Broncos defense allowed a season-high 10 points in the victory.

All-Time Series: The Broncos have generally controlled this series holding a 26-16 overall advantage. They have won five of the last seven meetings.

The last meeting between the two squads was on September 24, 2006 when the Broncos surprised the Patriots in Foxboro by the score of 17-7. Jake Plummer tossed two touchdown passes to Javon Walker and Tatum Bell rushed for 123 yards. The Patriots didn’t score until they were down by 17 points in the fourth quarter when Brady hit Doug Gabriel for a touchdown.

Key Questions Entering Week Five:
New England Patriots: With Fred Taylor definitely out this week and potentially done for the season, the running game for the Patriots goes back to the “committee” approach they have used with measured success in recent years. Laurence Maroney would appear to be the starter, but he is averaging 2.9 yards per carry and has shown little promise of improvement so far this season.  Look for Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk to get more attempts this week.  At some point you might see BenJarvus Green-Ellis receive an opportunity to show his stuff. He looked good in the preseason, but has not been given a chance to show his stuff during the regular season.

With a 25-12 career record, all Kyle Orton does is win.

Denver Broncos: All Kyle Orton ever does is win. That was his reputation in Chicago and it has carried with him to Denver. He has a career record of 25-12 as a starter, yet this is his first season as clearly the number one quarterback on a team. He is never spectacular, but he makes the plays when needed and rarely makes the big mistake. His numbers this season have actually been very good as he has completed 59% of his passed for 906 yards and five touchdowns without throwing an interception. The question this week is whether he can continue making the right decisions against a defense that will be looking to force him into mistakes.

Player To Watch:
New England Patriots: Randy Moss is averaging a career-low 11.4 yards per catch, primarily because he switched roles during the absence of Wes Welker and became a possession receiver. The Broncos are among the top teams in the league in pass defense, but now that Welker is back in the lineup watch for Brady and Moss to look for opportunities to test the Denver secondary.

Denver Broncos: Defensive end Elvis Dumervil has eight sacks so far this season. He will look to keep constant pressure on Brady throughout the contest. If he is successful, it could be a long day for Brady and the Patriots.

Predictions: This will be the first really tough test for Josh McDaniels and the Denver Broncos this season. It could be an advantage for McDaniels that he is so intimately familiar with the Patriots team and tendencies. However, Bill Belichick seems to always have a special motivation when facing his former assistants, even ones with which he had a good relationship. Look for the Patriots to dissect the Broncos and pull off their third straight win over a previously undefeated squad.

Final Score: Patriots 24, Broncos 13