Broncos Pull Off Comeback to Shock Patriots in Overtime

What a game! Even without Peyton Manning, the annual Patriots-Broncos showdown was an instant classic. The Broncos, behind Brock Osweiler, came back from a 21-7 hole in the 4th quarter to defeat the Patriots 30-24 on a C.J. Anderson 48 yard walkoff touchdown. It was a snowy night in Denver, and the weather provided a great backdrop as the 10-0 Patriots came to Mile High to take on the 8-2 Broncos. The game certainly lived up to the hype of the other classic Broncos-Patriots games, and this game had so many twists and turns. It was an up and down game, and if you are a Broncos fan, there was like 10 times where you just didn't think it was in the cards for the Broncos to win this game. Then, the Broncos got a stroke of luck and every bounce and call starting going their way and all of a sudden they had a chance. If was a terrific ending to a terrific game, and it was a huge win for Denver as they improved to 9-2 and they hand the Patriots their first loss of the season. Let's get into the game and here are my thoughts and observations on the game....

1) Awful start for the Broncos. After a three and out, the Patriots go right down the field and Tom Brady drills a touchdown to Rob Gronkowski and an early 7-0 lead. You can't start the game worse than that if you're a Broncos fan.

2) The Broncos couldn't do anything early on offense, and a tipped Osweiler interception to Chandler Jones led to another Brady touchdown-this time to the other TE Scott Chandler. Chandler beat Von Miller in coverage, and that was a bad moment for Wade Phillips and the Broncos defense because anytime you see Miller in coverage and not attacking the QB, then that is not a good sign. At 14-0 Patriots, I thought the Broncos were dead meat for the first of many times in this game.

3) Give the Broncos and Brock Osweiler credit for putting together a big drive and answering down 14-0. Osweiler hit some key third downs to Emmanuel Sanders and a sweet Ronnie Hillman touchdown run made it 14-7 with xx left in the half.

4) Why did Josh McDaniels chose to run the ball before the half and not let Brady go for some points with plenty of time left? Very interesting set of plays and decisions there.

5) The third quarter went back and forth and although the Broncos were getting their running game going, they came away empty handed as a result of a missed field goal by Brandon McManus and some key stops by the Patriots defense on Osweiler. Demaryius Thomas didn't have a catch for most of the game and he continuously dropped some key passes during the first three quarters. It was actually hard to watch at one point.

6) A few seconds into the 4th quarter, Brady hit Brandon Bolden on 63 yard touchdown hookup on a wheel route down the sideline. Bolden beat Danny Trevathan and broke free for the touchdown. It silenced the crowd and at 21-7 it looked like the Broncos were done for the night once again.

7) The absolute turning point of the game was the muffed punt by Patriots returner Chris Harper. The Broncos recovered the fumble at the New England 36 and four plays later, C.J. Anderson, who had a great game in the snow, made a sweet jump cut and bounced the run outside and raced to the pile on for the 15 yard touchdown run to make it 21-14. It gave Denver life when it needed it badly.

8) The offensive penalty for pass interference on Gronk was a ticky-tack call, but it went our way so we will take it. The illegal use of hands on the play when Brady hit Keshawn Martin deep in Denver territory also changed the game. Take out those two penalties and I think the Pats win the game.

9) Kubiak going for the field goal instead of going for it on 4th down at 21-14 with 6:08 left. It was a questionable call, and I would have went for the touchdown because now if you don't get it, you have the Pats backed on their own three yard line. Kubiak went for the field goal and it led to a 21-17 game because he had faith in his defense to get the ball back. The defense did their job and they got the ball back after the key penalty on Gronk and a punt.

10) Why did Kubiak go with a hurry up shotgun set of plays only down 4 with 4:36 left? He could have run the ball and the regular offense but he went shotgun/hurry up too quick at that point.

11) After a first down completion to Gronk, he then got injured on the next play and I think it took the momentum away from the Pats and they were forced to punt a few plays later.

12) Big moment for Osweiler. Down 21-17, he hits Demaryius Thomas on a 36 yard pass to the Pats 47. Two plays later, Osweiler uncorked his best throw of the night: A beautifully placed 39 yard bomb to Sanders down the sideline just past a trailing Malcolm Butler. What a throw and what a play by Osweiler.

13) Huge penalty on Patrick Chung on DT in the end zone after a sack on Osweiler. It would have been 3rd and goal from the 19, but instead it turned into a first and goal from the five. Osweiler hit Andre Caldwell on a perfectly placed back-shoulder fade to give the Broncos the lead 24-21. Mile High was rocking at that point.

14) How the hell does Brady drive the Patriots to tie the game at the end? He goes 5 plays 51 yards and hits Scott Chandler and Brandon LaFell twice to set up a 47 yard field goal to tie the game with no time left. You have to give Brady credit for what he did against the Broncos defense in that last drive.

15) Finally, after a big three and out forced by the Broncos defense, the Broncos win the game on the walkoff run by Anderson. What was cool about the play was that Osweiler audibled out of one run play and into this play and it was one of my favorite runs from the Shanahan-Kubiak playbook. Bunch Left Toss Left with the LT pulling and TE and WR washing down. Ryan Harris kicks out the outside defender and the Broncos have numbers on the edge and Anderson saw the hole, burst through it, and galloped in the snowy night for the Broncos victory. Great, great play at the end there.

16) As I said earlier, this game had everything you would want. It had big-time plays, some controversial calls, unpredictable ending and cool story with Brock leading the Broncos past the Pats in a comeback in the snow. As far as Osweiler goes, he was bottled up for most of the game. He did come through in the clutch in the 4th quarter. You have to like his poise and how he handled himself in the big moment. He made some really big throws on third downs and late in the game. You have to like the accuracy on some of those throws at the end. It is only two games, but as a Broncos fan, there are a lot of things to like about Osweiler at this point. Only time will tell, but this could have been one of those signature games for him.

17) This game reminded me of the game these two teams played on a Sunday night in 2103 in Foxboro. The Broncos led 24-0 in that game only to see Brady and the Pats come back and win it in overtime 34-31. In that game, the Pats took the lead 31-24 late in the game, but Peyton Manning drove Denver for a touchdown late to tie it at 31 and send it to overtime-just like Brady did in this game. It also reminded me of two other Sunday night games Denver hosted in the snow in the past. In 2002, the Broncos lost to Peyton Manning and the Colts in a thriller and in 2004 they lost a close game to the Raiders in the snow as well. It was nice to see them win a game like that finally.

18) Huge, huge win for the Broncos and now they stand at 9-2 and head to San Diego next week to take on the 3-8 Chargers. The Pats are still the class of the AFC and the favorites, but it gives Denver some much needed breathing room in the AFC West and it helps them keep pace in the AFC for the #2 seed. It was one of the most memorable games the Broncos have had in the last few years because it was at home in the snow with their backup QB starting the game and it was a victory over the hated Patriots. That makes it so much sweeter. Go Broncos!