DENVER — If this 17th matchup with Tom Brady was indeed the final one, Peyton Manning got the last laugh — thanks to Von Miller.
The star of Denver's dominant defense had 2½ sacks, an interception and a pass breakup in the Broncos' 20-18 win over the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game Sunday.
DeMarcus Ware and Derek Wolfe also applied plenty of pressure, helping a "No Fly Zone" secondary that was missing safeties T.J. Ward (ankle) and Darian Stewart (knee) by the end.
Denver, which led the league in defense for the first time in franchise history, held on fourth down inside the 20 on consecutive drives before allowing Rob Gronkowski to haul in a 4-yard TD pass with 12 seconds left.