Brady bids to buck Broncos’ charge and advance to Super Bowl

All eyes will be on Denver tomorrow as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady face each other for the 15th time.

The anticipated match-up between two of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks will be the focus of this weekend’s championship showdowns with Brady dominating the rivalry going into the AFC title game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots.

Although Brady’s preparations have been disrupted by illness, he is expected to be ready to lead his team’s attempt to upset the slight favourites and advance to next month’s Super Bowl.

Brady has reached the sport’s showcase five times since 2001, winning three titles and far outshining Manning, whose only Super Bowl victory arrived in 2006, the last time he met the Patriots in an AFC decider. Manning, who has resurrected his career after serious neck surgery, has enjoyed a record-breaking season, however, his 55 touchdown passes shattering Brady’s high of 50 in 2007 while the Broncos became the first team to score more than 600 points in a regular season.

Meanwhile, in the NFC Championship finale, the San Francisco 49ers will bring an eight-game winning streak to Seattle as they attempt to reach the Super Bowl for a second straight season. Although the Seattle Seahawks have been impressive in their march towards the conference final, the play-off form favours their arch-rivals who picked up impressive away victories at the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers en route to this intriguing clash. In spite of their dominance at home, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is under no illusions about the task facing his team.

“We want to bring something special to the city,” he said. “To do that, we have to play the best 60 minutes of our lives.”

Tomorrow: AFC Championship: Denver Broncos v New England Patriots, Denver, Colorado, 8pm Irish time

NFC Championship: Seattle Seahawks v San Francisco 49ers, Seattle, Washington, 11.30pm Irish time