Here's our take at what to look for when the New England Patriots visit the Denver Broncos on Sunday in the AFC championship game:

10 Key Facts: Denver Broncos-New England Patriots AFC Title Game Slideshow

 

10. 12 Plus 18 Divided by 2 Equals 15

Quarterback Tom Brady (No. 12) and Peyton Manning (No. 18) prepare to meet head-to-head for the 15th time Sunday, which includes a fourth time in the playoffs. Brady has won 10 of the previous 14 encounters and has thrown more than twice as many touchdown passes (26) than interceptions in those contests (12). Meanwhile, Manning has thrown for 29 scores but been picked off 20 times.

 

9. Pleading the Fourth

This marks the fourth postseason meeting between the Patriots and Broncos but the first in the conference championship game. In the previous three playoff meetings (all in the divisional round), the home team prevailed: The Broncos posted a 22-17 win in the 1986 playoffs and a 27-13 victory in the 2005 playoffs. The Patriots rolled to a 45-10 triumph in 2011 at Foxborough.

 

8. Patriots Game

Be it Tim Tebow or Peyton Manning at quarterback, the Broncos haven't had much luck against the Patriots the past three seasons. Including the postseason, New England has won four straight meetings in this series by combined score of 151-85, including a 34-31 Sunday night overtime win this season at Foxborough in Week 12 when Denver owned a 24-0 halftime lead.

 

7. A Little History

A victory over the Broncos on Sunday would send the Patriots to their eighth Super Bowl, tying the record shared by the Steelers and Cowboys. It would also enable Tom Brady the opportunity to start a sixth Super Bowl, setting a new record for quarterbacks. And Brady would also tie the mark for Super Bowls played (6), currently owned by defensive tackle Mike Lodish (Bills and Broncos).

 

6. A Little History, Part Deux

We all know that no head coach has ever led teams to Super Bowl wins with two different franchises. That also goes for quarterbacks, although two have come close. Craig Morton lost Super Bowl V with the Cowboys and Super Bowl XII with the Broncos (vs. the Cowboys). Meanwhile, Kurt Warner won a title with the Rams and lost Super Bowls with the Cardinals and Rams. Peyton Manning won Super Bowl XLI with the Colts and now looks to get back to the Big Game with Denver…and win it.

 

5. Déjà vu?

Should the Pats win on Sunday at Denver, they will make their sixth Super Bowl appearance in the past 13 seasons dating back to 2001. It will also keep alive a bit of an anomaly in the AFC, where since 2000 only five teams from the conference in 13 years have reached the Big Game. The list is led by the Patriots (5) and followed by the Steelers (3), Colts (2), Ravens (2) and Raiders (1).

 

4. Tom Thumbs Down?

For all of the criticism that Peyton Manning has received from some for his 10-11 career playoff record, Tom Brady hasn't exactly put up electrifying numbers in the postseason since opening his career 10-0 in the NFL playoffs. Brady is just 8-7 in his past 15 postseason contests and the Patriots haven't won a Super Bowl since 2004. The lesson here is that these are two great quarterbacks who have never done it all by themselves in the ultimate team game.

 

3. The Other Rematch

For the second time in three years, the Patriots and Broncos will clash in the playoffs. This time around, the teams will vie for the right to go to Super Bowl XLVIII. But take away the "L" and insert "XX" and you have XXXVIII. Yes, it was Belichick's Patriots that edged Fox’s Panthers 10 years ago at Reliant Stadium, 32-29, giving New England its second Lombardi Trophy.

 

2. Let's Talk About Sacks

Despite being without left tackle Ryan Clady most of the season, Peyton Manning has done his usual job staying out of harm's way. Including last week's 24-17 win over the San Diego Chargers, No. 18 has been sacked just 18 times in 2013. Meanwhile, Tom Brady wouldn't mind that kind of protection. The veteran quarterback was sacked 40 times during the regular season (his highest total since 2001) and twice more last Saturday despite the team's 43-22 playoff win over the Colts.

 

1. Living Legends

Sunday will mark the 26th playoff game for Tom Brady and the 22nd for Peyton Manning. So it is really no surprise that they rank 1-2 in NFL postseason history in career passing yards, respectively with 6,147 and 5,909. Brady is third on the league's all-time list for playoff touchdown passes with 42, trailing just Joe Montana (45) and Brett Favre (44). Manning ranks fourth with 34.

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NFC Championship Game Facts: 49ers Vs. Seahawks

-- Read more of Russell S. Baxter at ProFootballGuru.com. Follow him on Twitter @BaxFootballGuru.