Broncos barely survive late rally to win AFC Championship
DENVER - Peyton Manning will get another chance to win a second Super Bowl after barely surviving a late rally by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
The Denver Broncos beat the Patriots 20-18 in a thriller that nearly went the other way at the last second.
With less than 90 seconds on the clock, Brady connected with All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski on a deep downfield throw that later set up a touchdown between the two. However, it was all for nothing, as Brady's attempt at a two-point conversion was bobbled and eventually intercepted with about 12 seconds left on the clock.
New England had to go for 2 after Brady's 4-yard touchdown to Gronkowski because Stephen Gostkowski missed an extra point in the first quarter, snapping a string of 523 straight makes.
Denver (14-4) will face either the Arizona Cardinals or the Carolina Panthers for the title on Feb. 7.
Manning threw two touchdowns but the 39-year-old QB's best play may have very well been his 12-yard scramble on third down in the third quarter - his longest playoff run since he was a rookie.