AFC Title Game notes

It will be the defending Super Bowl champion, New England Patriots visiting the Denver Broncos in the AFC title game this Sunday.

It seemed very likely New England with a magic number of one and two games remaining for each team (for that matter, the Cincinnati Bengals as well) that if New England won in the division round, which of course they did to raise their record in that round to (10-2) in the Brady/Belichick era, the AFC title tilt would be in New England.

However, that did not happen and thus the Pats, who are (15-3) in home playoff games in the aforementioned great era, must travel to Denver.

The Pats are favored by three plus points at Denver, meaning they would have been huge 8 to 9 point favorites were the game in New England.

As he should, Jim Nantz, (dollars to donuts), will again mention that the Patriots and Broncos met in the first AFL game ever played. That game had some meaning and likely coverage as the first in a neophyte league.

Sunday’s upcoming tilt, with a Super Bowl berth on the line in a league that is a monolith, had to be beyond far fetched even to those with the most incredible imagination those 56 seasons ago.