Manning Heads to Super Bowl Once More

Neither one of them played all that well, but in the end, Peyton Manning got the best of Tom Brady.

And with that, the Broncos are headed to the Super Bowl after disposing of the Patriots, 20-18 in the AFC Championship.

It's the third time in five playoff chances that Manning has beaten Brady, but Manning got this one more in part to his defense.

He did throw for two touchdowns without yielding an interception but his defense forced Brady into two picks, got constant pressure and intercepted a game-tying two-point conversion attempt in the waning seconds.

Owen Daniels had just two catches for the Broncos, and both resulted in first half touchdowns. Manning threw for just 176 yards in the win.

Brady ended up throwing for 310 yards, but his completion percentage was under 50 percent (27-56).

Rob Gronkowski caught eight balls for 144 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

The Broncos will meet the Panthers in Santa Clara, Calif. for the title.