Another postseason classic never materialized because the Broncos' defense stuffed the run, pressured the New England Patriots' quarterback at critical moments and took advantage of Brady's ill-timed inaccuracy.
It amounted to an orange tidal wave that the Broncos rode to a 26-16 victory and a berth in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Manning did his share, as usual. He completed 32 of 43 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns to finish with a passer rating of 118.4.
Touchdown passes to Jacob Tamme and Demaryius Thomas of 1 and 3 yards, respectively, helped Manning advance to the Super Bowl for the third time in his career. He won with the Indianapolis Colts at the end of the 2006 season.
The Broncos claimed their first AFC title since they won back-to-back Super Bowls in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. And they did so with balance characteristic of a champion.
Their receiving corps consistently won at the line of scrimmage and separated on the perimeter and down the field.
The size, speed, physicality and agility of Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker and tight end Julius Thomas were too much for the Patriots' defenders, especially after top cornerback Aqib Talib left the game in the first half with knee and rib injuries.
The Broncos are accustomed to such offensive domination. But on Sunday, their defense matched that output.
In building a 23-3 lead early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos limited the Patriots to 160 total yards. Brady finished 24-of-38 passing for 277 yards, with one touchdown pass and a touchdown run.
Neither team turned the ball over, but the Broncos made enough plays at decisive moments.
Defensive tackle Terrance Knighton sacked Brady on fourth-and-three play from the Broncos' 29-yard line late in the third quarter with the Broncos leading 20-3. His two-handed swim move beat Pro Bowl left guard Logan Mankins.
And when the Patriots scored their final touchdown and threatened to make it a one-possession game with 3 minutes 7 seconds left in the fourth quarter, defensive end Shaun Phillips came around the edge unblocked and tackled running back Shane Vareen on the two-point conversion attempt.
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