Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (pictured above, right) is set to become the oldest starting QB in the history of the Super Bowl after his team edged Tom Brady's New England Patriots 20-18 in the AFC championship game on Sunday. The Carolina Panthers jumped out to a 17-0 lead and rolled to a 49-15 blowout victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Von Miller's monster performance led the way for a dominant defense that hit Brady 23 times and forced him into 29 incompletions, two fourth-down flops, and a costly interception on a failed 2-point try that would have tied it with 12 seconds left.

Denver's defense denied New England and the Broncos recovered an onside kick attempt to seal the victory. "He had a great year for us", Belichick said of Gostkowski, who had made 523 consecutive extra points until that moment and was just one of five kickers who did not have a miss the entire season.

Manning will surpass now Broncos executive John Elway as the oldest quarterback to take his team to the Super Bowl. "Then all of sudden, they called a timeout, and I said, 'They got my back, and I'm going to make sure that I make this play'".

Taking that sort of attitude into account, Broncos fans should probably be happy to hear the Carolina Panthers are favored to win the Super Bowl.

The NFL game featured two of the league's best quarterbacks - Peyton Manning and Tom Brady - and brought in an average viewership of 53.3 million, according to the network.

The very first play of the simulation has Newton dropping back in the pocket from his own 20-yard line and throwing a bomb to wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. for a touchdown. Gronkowski had scorched the Broncos with eight catches for 144 yards - including the two that put the Patriots in position to force overtime. Total disrespect. Besides the big plays at the end of the game, I think he had about 150 yards passing, got sacked [four] times, threw a pick and we dogged him. A 43-8 loss to Seattle two years ago. Individuals could have their careers defined by this one game. "We find ways to win".

"I'd say it's a combination of things", Belichick told reporters on Monday during his season-ending availability.