Below are sports editors Joel Vardon and Ari Feuer’s reflections on the AFC Championship Game that took place on Jan. 26. The score for the game was 20-18; the Broncos won. Vardon, who is a Broncos fan, wrote a column titled “A mile high win.” His column is on the top of the page. Feuer, who is a Patriots fan, wrote a column titled “A Pats fan’s soul.” His column is on the bottom of the page.

A mile high win

While you were shoveling snow, my Denver Broncos, led by Peyton Manning, were able to knock off a familiar foe in Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, resulting in a trip to Super Bowl 50.

The Broncos did everything right to slow down the explosive Patriots’ offense. The Patriots could not stop the Broncos’ pass rush, making their offensive line seem rather non-existent. As a matter of fact, the Broncos had four sacks and 20 hits on Brady, while being dropped backed 58 times. That is a lot of duress for a 38-year-old quarterback.

Offensively, the Broncos did a great job limiting their turnovers and playing conservative football. Peyton Manning struggled to throw the ball further than 20 yards, but the Broncos designed a strategic game plan that involved short and quick routes for Manning which the mediocre Patriots’ secondary could not find a solution to.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made some questionable decisions down the stretch that proved costly later on in the game. They had a fourth down in field goal territory with around 8:30 left in the game, which they passed on, only to give it right back to the Broncos after failing to convert. They also had an opportunity with around 4:30 left in the game to kick a manageable field goal but went for it and failed. The points left on the board may have ultimately been the difference.

An underlying impact was kicker Stephen Gostkowski missing his first extra point of the season, and eventually forcing the Patriots to go for a two-point conversion.

The majority of my family lives in Colorado, so I visit The Rocky Mountain State quite often and can tell you the altitude makes a difference. This proved to be true for the Patriots too, as stars tight end Rob Gronkowski, linebacker Jamie Collins and Brady were seen to be wearing oxygen masks periodically because they were so out of breath.

But back to my Broncos heading to the Super Bowl. This is awesome for the fans, the city and for Peyton Manning. Everyone in Denver wants revenge for their last Super Bowl performance, and to go back to the Super Bowl when you were not expected to makes the situation even sweeter. The football gods were on my side today, and I wish Ari Feuer and the Patriots better luck next time.

A Pats fan’s soul

Look, I’m not sour. The New England Patriots simply could not solve the Denver Broncos’ defense in their 20-18 AFC Championship Game loss. In the chess match that is football, Broncos’ defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, of failed-Dallas-head-coach fame, beat Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

The Patriots have had bad losses before. I remember after the Super Bowl in 2012, I was devastated. The Patriots played better than the Giants but got unlucky. This is different. The Broncos quite simply outplayed the Patriots.

The writing was on the wall since the end of the regular season. The Patriots offense could not manage to beat the Dolphins in Miami, and Denver got home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Denver quarterback Peyton Manning does not play well in freezing rain, snow or even simple cold. Thus, the Patriots beat him when they play in New England. In Denver, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a 2-6, now 2-7, win-loss record.

The game was ugly for the Patriots from the beginning. Their only touchdown came when the Broncos handed them the ball at the Denver 21 yard line, within spitting distance of a score. Even with that development, Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski managed to miss the point after touchdown (PAT), ending his streak of 523 (!) PATs made.

At that point, I knew what was going to happen. Even when Brady hit giant, dehydrated tight end Rob Gronkowski for a touchdown to set up a must-make two-point conversion, I did not really have hope. The Broncos’ defense, led by bespectacled linebacker Von Miller, had sucked the life out of me as a fan along with the Patriots’ offense.

Before I go watch the Arizona Cardinals take on the Carolina Panthers in the game to decide which team I will love for the next two weeks through the Super Bowl, which airs on Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. on CBS, I want to acknowledge the Patriots’ defense.

Led by linebacker Jamie Collins, the Patriots defense recovered from a shaky beginning of the game to have one of its best games I have ever watched. During the second half of the game, the Broncos offense could muster just about as much as Brady and the Patriots were able to.

Congratulations to Joel Vardon and the Broncos. Denver simply deserved this one. Next season, the Patriots will bring with them a good offense, albeit with a one-year-older Tom Brady, along with the stout defense viewers saw today.