Much about the AFC Championship game appears to favor the Patriots, from the initial point spread to the way each team looked in winning its divisional game.<br />But one intangible worth considering this week: How much Peyton Manning’s teammates want to help him go out a winner.<br />“The 23-16 victory against Pittsburgh wasn’t pretty,” Mark Kiszla wrote in the Denver Post.<br />“Hey, growing old never is.<br />Yes, it’s sometimes hard to watch, and at the same time, it’s a privilege for his teammates to help Manning win one more championship before he goes.”<br />“If you have faith in a cause greater than yourself, that’s powerful,” Broncos defensive end Antonio Smith said.<br />“Even when a man is in dire need for one’s self, he will not give as much for himself as he will for his brother.<br />That’s the essence of love.”
