Christmas Eve in Denver was a back-and-forth game as the Patriots and Broncos exchanged passable plays in a low-scoring first half. However, in the third quarter, New England erupted, building a double-digit lead thanks to strong defensive play, clutch offensive plays, and even a special teams score. But the Broncos knotted the game late in the fourth quarter when Denver stormed back with two long drives in the fourth quarter, just as New England’s offense went silent.

As the clock ticked down to the last two seconds, the Pats defense made one more stop and gave the offense one last opportunity, which they took advantage of with a massive third-down play for 27 yards to DeVante Parker, setting up a dramatic field goal by Chad Ryland to win the game. New England won 26–23 as a result.

These are the main lessons to be learned from New England’s triumph on Christmas Eve in Denver.

1. Tight Curved Launch

When Bailey Zappe was struck and fumbled on the opening play of the game, things didn’t go well for the Patriots. Starting left tackle Vederian Lowe appeared to be having trouble holding his own block, while James Ferentz, who was playing in his first game of the season after being upgraded to the active roster, appeared to be beaten off the snap. Suddenly, Denver was in control of the ball at New England’s six-yard line and appeared ready to jump ahead.

After two strong run stops by the Patriots run defense, it first looked as though Mack Wilson had picked off Russell Wilson on third down, but the wild start would go on. Sean Payton, the coach of Denver, decided to go for a fourth down after the throw was deemed incomplete after a review. In an attempt to score off an end zone pass, the Broncos used an RPO, but before Javonte Williams could get into the end zone, a teammate tripped him.

After a dramatic opening few minutes that included a fumble, a near interception, and a fourth-down stop, New England regained control of the 0-0 game, but they soon punted it back to Denver without earning a first down.

2. A huge Bronco punt return ignites the opening goal

Following five possessions in which neither side was able to muster a first down, Denver finally found the spark they needed when Marvin Mims returned a punt 52 yards. For the first time since 2017, Matthew Slater was out, and this resulted in another game-changing performance for the Patriots’ struggling special teams. Mims demonstrated why he was the greatest returner in the game early in the contest, as noted by Bill Belichick earlier in the week.

In the opening minutes of the game, both sides used run-heavy strategies until Williams scored the game’s first touchdown five plays later. Throughout their first three drives, the Pats offense managed only seven plays in total, showing how incapable to move the ball and how many errors they were making.

3. Let Pats Take Off

The Patriots managed to mount their first scoring drive following a dismal first three possessions, helped by a 28-yard reception by Jalen Reagor after Bailey Zappe hit the ideal ball in the coverage hole down the sideline. After being sacked for a 10-yard loss on the previous play, Zappe’s spectacular play came at a crucial moment. During the 13-play, 61-yard drive, Ezekiel Elliot gained 18 yards, which was a significant contribution to the possession.

The game was tied at three points early in the second quarter when Chad Ryland made a 33-yard field goal.

With a few big plays of their own, Denver countered on the following drive, moving the ball quickly across midfield until Jahlani Tavai—one of the team’s most impressive playmakers this year—forced Javonte Williams to fumble, which was recovered by Jeremiah Pharms, who then tore the ball away from the Broncos lineman who had initially appeared to have recovered it. Pharms was a member of the practice squad to begin the season, but he has since produced an effort play that stands out as one of his best plays to date, according to defensive line coach Demarcus Covington.

When first half time was running out, the Patriots offense, led by Zappe, put together another strong drive after a Broncos punt and went 44 yards, halting short of the end zone. That gave Ryland another opportunity to try a field goal, but he missed the 47-yarder. Throughout his first year, Ryland has struggled with consistency, and this was his eighth miss. For the season, he is 14 out of 22.

After Denver’s 57-yard field goal attempt to end the first half, the Broncos would miss their own, leaving them ahead 7-3 going into halftime.

4. Spark in the Second Half

The Patriots got the sort of second-half start they’ve been craving for by first forcing a punt and then putting together an incredible touchdown drive, following two games of strong play in the first half and waning second halves. Christian Barmore’s sack, which caused Denver to retreat ten yards, set off the stop. Barmore has had an incredible season and is still on the rise in December.

After that, Zappe moved up in the pocket on the opening play of the drive and found Pop Douglas for a 41-yard pass before going after the rookie for a 13-yard crossing play. Douglas gained 54 yards on his own. Two plays later, Zeke Elliot, for the Patriots, completed the drive off by collecting a swing ball, vaulting over a defender, and taking the rock to the house for a touchdown.

Regretfully, Ryland’s problems persisted as he failed to convert the extra point—his first of the year. The third quarter ended with a 9-7 score.

New England would keep up its impressive performance, forcing two more punts from Denver and generating another touchdown drive that was again assisted by a big play, this time a 30-yard pass to DeVante Parker. After a successful Ryland extra point, the 52-yard, five-play drive concluded with a touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki in the end zone, making the score 16–7.

The next kickoff, which came just after Gesicki’s touchdown, was even more crazy because rookie Marte Mapu caused a fumble that Cody Davis recovered in the end zone for another touchdown. In the blink of an eye, New England had gone ahead 23–7 thanks to a brilliant third quarter of complementing football from all three units. As he continued to prepare for a great finish to his rookie year, Mapu contributed to a takeaway for the second time in as many games.

5. The Broncos Retaliate

The Broncos, who were in danger of missing the playoffs, mounted their finest drive of the game with a nine-play, 83-yard touchdown drive that was mostly set up by a 47-yard reception by Marvin Mims. Halfway through the fourth quarter, Denver made it a 23–15 score when they also completed a two-point attempt.

Denver managed to keep things intriguing until the very end by driving the ball down the field once again, while New England was unable to duplicate their offensive prowess from the third quarter. There were 2:53 remaining in the game when Wilson hit Brian Johnson for a 21-yard touchdown and a successful two-point conversion to level the score.

After making one more stop, the New England defense gave their offense one more shot to win the game. And that’s exactly what they accomplished, as Zappe connected with DeVante Parker for a huge gain and Ryland made up for his earlier errors with a game-winning 56-yard from goal.

The Pats pulled off a thrilling victory in the closing minutes of the game, after almost squandering a 16-point lead.

6. The Patriots are 4–11 overall.

On Christmas Eve, the Patriots managed to pull off their fourth victory of the season, and they did it by combining a strong defensive performance with a team effort to score points. Russell Wilson and the Broncos offense were mostly shut down by the defense, which was spearheaded by Christian Barmore, who finished the game with three sacks despite playing mostly in the backfield. Jahlani Tavai and Jeremiah Pharms also combined for a takeaway.

The Patriots defense has been playing that way most of the season, but this week Zappe and the offense made some huge plays that helped them score numerous touchdowns, even though Chad Ryland missed an extra point and a field goal that might have made the game tighter than it needed to be. Naturally, Ryland delivered when they needed him to seal the victory at the very end.

It was an unexpected game played in a hostile setting that has frequently given the New England Patriots, even at their finest, fits. It was the best all-around complimentary football match of the Patriots 2023 season.

Following that, the Pats will take on a Buffalo squad that is beginning to put together a winning streak in their pursuit of an AFC East championship. Miami is leading the way, therefore the division title can be decided in the very last week of the season. Upstate New York is about to witness another conflict that will affect New England, and Buffalo still has a lot to play for.

NOTICE: This article’s opinions and ideas are the author’s own and may not represent the organization as a whole.