Much about the AFC Championship game appears to favor the Patriots, from the initial point spread to the way each team looked in winning its divisional game.
But one intangible worth considering this week: How much Peyton Manning’s teammates want to help him go out a winner.
“The 23-16 victory against Pittsburgh wasn’t pretty,” Mark Kiszla wrote in the Denver Post.
“Hey, growing old never is.
Yes, it’s sometimes hard to watch, and at the same time, it’s a privilege for his teammates to help Manning win one more championship before he goes.”
“If you have faith in a cause greater than yourself, that’s powerful,” Broncos defensive end Antonio Smith said.
“Even when a man is in dire need for one’s self, he will not give as much for himself as he will for his brother.
That’s the essence of love.”