Peyton Manning is having one of his best NFL seasons and the Denver Broncos have lost just one game.

Tom Brady is having a sub-par season and the New England Patriots have lost three of their past six. The Patriots will be at home, where they are unbeaten, for Sunday night's highly-anticipated game against the Broncos.

Brady owns a 9-4 record against his rival, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick usually comes up with a defensive scheme that slows or even confounds Manning. But New England, plagued by injuries throughout its defense, might not have the talent to slow the league's best offense.

Denver leads the NFL with 39.8 points per game, three more than the league record set by the Patriots in 2007. Manning has thrown 34 touchdown passes, a pace that would give him 54 and break the mark of 50 set by Brady in 2007.

"It is incredible to score points like that," Brady said of Denver, which has 398, 92 more than Seattle, the next most prolific team. "They have a lot of guys that can make plays with the ball. Everybody contributes, that is what good offenses do. The backs contribute, the tight end contributes, the receivers contribute. They are all scoring touchdowns.

"It is not like you can just go in and stop one guy. Our defense has its work cut out."

Wide receiver Wes Welker, who became a star in New England, returns to Foxborough after joining the Broncos this year. He was concussed in last Sunday's 27-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the last unbeaten team.

The Patriots are 5-0 at home this year and 35-3 there over the past 38 regular-season games. But for the first time since 2005, they are underdogs at home. Still, they didn't have to make another trip during a short week of practice after their 24-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers last Monday.

"You can't give up any big plays," Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich said. "You can't just let some guy run down the middle of the field and have (Manning) throw an easy touchdown."

(China Daily 11/24/2013 page7)