Reaction: Patriots Dominate Broncos, Take Lead in AFC
 Tom Brady and the Patriots were too much for Peyton Manning's Broncos in week nine. (USA TODAY Images) |
The New England Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos 43-21 at Gillette Stadium Sunday evening.
The Patriots scored first, taking an early 3-0 lead after a Stephen Gostkowski 49-yard field goal, but then fell behind 7-3 on the following drive.
The second quarter, however, was all New England. The Patriots outscored Denver 24-0, taking a commanding 27-7 lead going into the half. Peyton Manning looked frustrated throughout the contest, ultimately suffering his worst loss (22 points) since joining the Broncos.
Despite allowing 472 yards, the Patriots defense stood tall against an explosive passing attack. New England's defenders played physical, clearly disrupting the timing of Denver's passing attack.
Here are a few thoughts on Sunday's contest. --
"Brady's Better!" - Gillette Stadium chanted loud and clear, "Brady's better!" in the second half. Fans knew how big this contest was going in, Brady versus Manning sixteen. And it was sweet, if you're a Patriots fan.
Brady went 33-for-53, for 333 yards, four touchdowns and an interception Sunday. He threw his first interception -- off a receiver deflection -- since Sept. 29, against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The pocket wasn't always clean, but Brady was able to push the ball downfield, despite strong winds, consistently finding receivers to sustain drives. New England's offense continues to roll, putting up nearly 40 points on a regular basis over the past five weeks.
The Broncos defense has been praised as a much improved unit, but the Patriots offense, led by Brady, proved to be too much to handle in this game.
Incredelman - Julian Edelman was incredible Sunday, taking over the contest at times in two different phases of the game.
He hauled in nine passes on 10 targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. Edelman added a momentum-turning play, returning an 84-yard punt back for a touchdown in the second quarter.
Edelman's production had dipped in previous weeks, including a combined four drops against the Jets and Bears, but he came back with a vengeance in week nine. Between he, Brandon LaFell and Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots have found a tremendous rhythm in the passing game.
Pats Flex Muscles in Secondary - When the Patriots signed Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner in the offseason, it was clear they wanted to upgrade their defense on the back end.
Browner has shown good-and-bad through his first three games with New England. While he's been able to match-up with bigger receivers, he's also been penalized seven times for his play.
Revis was targeted earlier in the game, allowing three catches and looking lost in coverage. After that, his side of the field was quiet for the contest. Revis did a great job collapsing on screen plays to Demaryius Thomas, forcing Manning to look at other options.
As an honorable mention, Patrick Chung may have been the best defensive back on the field for the Patriots Sunday. He was outstanding in coverage, emerging in his limited role and doing a superb job tackling in the open field. After being washed out in Philadelphia, he's returned to New England providing an upgrade in their big nickel package.
Revis said after the game, "We felt like we matched up with their receivers across the board... We just wanted to go out there and out-physical them."
They did just that Sunday.
Final Thought: This isn't the Super Bowl, the Patriots did not win a championship because they beat the Broncos in week nine. With that being said, you have to feel good about this team beating their toughest AFC opponent and rolling into the bye week on a five-game winning streak.
The Patriots looked mediocre to start the year, but have improved each week and now should be considered one of the NFL's best teams. With the Indianapolis Colts, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers on the schedule over the next four weeks, they'll continue to get tested as the season moves forward.
For now, the Patriots are 7-2 and atop the AFC. Hopefully the team enjoys this victory, recharges and can carry the momentum in two weeks.
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