The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots playing in the AFC championship game isn't anything shocking for an NFL fan from the early 2010s.
Once Peyton Manning arrived in Denver, the Broncos joined the Patriots as one of two AFC powerhouses. During Manning's four-year stint with the Broncos, he faced Tom Brady and New England twice in the AFC championship game. Together, the two teams won three of four AFC titles during Manning's time in Denver.
The Broncos and Patriots took different paths in the years that followed, with New England winning two more Super Bowls after Manning's retirement as Denver faded into irrelevance and quarterback purgatory. More recently, though, both teams had to dig out of a hole, and it their rise to the top led them right back to familiar territory as the last two teams standing in the AFC.
Here's a look back at the final meeting between Manning and Brady in the AFC championship game.
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Who won 2016 AFC championship?
The Broncos held off a Patriots comeback in the AFC championship game on Jan. 24, 2016, holding on for the 20-18 victory when New England's attempt at a game-tying two-point conversion was intercepted.
Denver never trailed, jumping in front 14-6 in the first half and swarming Brady all game long. Offensive concerns made the Broncos a home underdog, and those issues started to show in the second half. Denver didn't score another touchdown after the opening minutes of the second quarter, and the Patriots hung around long enough for Brady to work some magic in the final minutes.
Trailing by eight thanks to an early missed extra point by Stephen Gostkowski, Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for a fourth-and-goal touchdown with 12 seconds remaining but still needed a successful two-point conversion to force overtime. Instead, Brady's pass was deflected by Aqib Talib and intercepted by Bradley Roby to end the Patriots' hopes.
With a depleted offensive line, Brady had a tough day all-around. He completed only 27-of-56 passes and threw two interceptions, not including the two-point try picked off by Roby. Von Miller recorded 2.5 sacks of Brady before winning Super Bowl MVP honors two weeks later.
2016 AFC championship box score
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F | |
| Patriots | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 18 |
| Broncos | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
A defensive-minded Broncos team made an early statement with two touchdowns and 17 total points in the first half, and the defense went to work to preserve the lead in the second half despite Denver notching only a field goal after the break.
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2016 AFC championship highlights
Here's a look back at the key moments from the Broncos' win over the Patriots a decade before they meet again in the AFC championship game:
The last time the Broncos hosted the AFC Championship game, Peyton Manning beat Tom Brady and the Patriots to send Denver to Super Bowl 50. Pic.twitter.com/FY8L9Eg2c0
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) January 18, 2026
Tom Brady stats
- 27/56 (48.2%)
- 310 yards
- 1 TD
- 2 INT
- 4 sacks
- 3 rush att.
- 13 rush yards
Brady threw for 310 yards but did so on a whopping 56 attempts, completing less than half of his passes and throwing two interceptions.
The Broncos sacked Brady four times, and their swarming pass-rush hounded him from start to finish as the Patriots dealt with offensive line injuries.
Peyton Manning stats
- 17/32 (53.1%)
- 176 yards
- 2 TD
- 0 INT
- 3 sacks
- 3 rush att.
- 11 rush yards
- 1 fumble
Manning was a great unknown entering the playoffs having not started a game since November, but he did what was asked of him in the AFC championship game. The Hall of Famer threw two touchdown passes in the first half and avoided interceptions, though he did lose a fumble.
After throwing 17 interceptions in nine starts in the regular season, Manning was intercepted only once in three playoff games on his way to a championship.
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Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning playoff record
| Season | Round | Result |
| 2003 | AFC championship | Patriots, 24-14 |
| 2004 | Divisional round | Patriots, 20-3 |
| 2006 | AFC championship | Colts, 38-34 |
| 2013 | AFC championship | Broncos, 26-16 |
| 2015 | AFC championship | Broncos, 20-18 |
The win not only sent Manning to the Super Bowl, but it served as the rubber match between himself and Brady in the playoffs. Manning moved to 3-2 in the playoffs against Brady, with each quarterback exclusively winning at home.
Brady was more successful against Manning in the regular season, posting a 9-3 record, but Manning picked up wins over Brady in three AFC championship meetings.