So Close, Yet So Far | Patriots Defeat Broncos 10-7 for The AFC Crown

In what can only be described as a defensive struggle inside a snow globe, the Denver Broncos let a Super Bowl berth slip through their grasp. They simply blew a handful of opportunities, costing them a trip to Santa Clara. While the defense played lights-out, to say the Broncos’ offense struggled is a gross understatement.

After hitting Marvin Mims for a 52-yard completion for the longest completion by air yards by a Broncos passer this season (according to Next Gen Stats), newly appointed starting quarterback Jarrett Stidham capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton. At that point, all of the #StiddyCity hype felt justified.

Unfortunately, Denver would fail to score any additional points in the final three quarters of their season.

Stidham had a classic NFL Follies style play, embarrassingly fumbling the ball on the Broncos’ 12-yard line, leading to the Patriots’ only touchdown. On the Broncos’ final possession of the game, he turned the ball over again, this time on a carelessly deep ball to seal the victory for New England.

In addition to losing the turnover battle, special teams had their share of miscues, plus Sean Payton made the questionable decision to go for it on fourth down early in the game. In the NFL, most games usually come down to a handful of plays, and in this game, one thing was clear:

The Patriots didn’t win this game-the Broncos lost it.

Missed Opportunities

Lackluster Lutz

Wil Lutz went 0-for-2 on field goal attempts. On the final and potentially game-tying attempt, Lutz and holder Jeremy Crawshaw set up one yard too close on the snap, allowing a Patriots player to get a hand up and block the kick. In a postgame interview, Lutz cited poor visibility, but regardless of the conditions, this mistake is difficult to justify for an NFL special teams unit playing for a chance to reach the Super Bowl. It was a rough day for Lutz, and many in Broncos’ Country are starting to question why he was signed to a three-year contract extension earlier this season.

TAKE THE POINTS, SEAN!

In the second quarter, the Broncos’ offense marched down the field on an 11-play, 43-yard drive, finding themselves on the New England 14-yard line in a fourth-and-one situation. Rather than taking the points from a chip-shot field goal (before the inclement weather arrived), Sean Payton decided to roll the dice and go for it. Stidam rolled right with pressure in his face and threw a short incompletion targeting RJ Harvey in the flats, turning the ball over on downs.

While this was early in the game, the decision to go for it proved controversial after Denver was unable to get into this good a scoring position for the remainder of the game. Would the outcome of the game be any different if Denver took the early two-score lead in the first half? Hard to say, but looking back at this moment, Payton has to regret not taking the points.

What’s Next?

While the pain from this loss surely pains all of Broncos Country, this season was far from a failure. The Broncos went 15-4, their best season in a decade. We had hope, faith, and belief in this team the whole way through. They were in championship contention from the very beginning to the end. Every game mattered, and it was a blast cheering them on.

It is clear we have our head coach-quarterback duo of the future, we have a dominant defense with many key players slated to return, and the Russel Wilson contract is finally coming off the books, giving the Broncos the 12th-most projected cap space heading into next season (according to Spotrac).

Nothing is guaranteed in this league, but I am willing to bet that this season wasn’t an apparition for the Broncos. The Bo Nix rookie contract window has a couple of years remaining, which should allow Denver to load up on talent and continue pushing hard for a Super Bowl. This is not the last you’ll see of the Denver Broncos.

Thank you for riding with me this season. I had a blast covering the Broncos and sharing my insights. The future is certainly bright in the Mile High City.

Until next time- Godspeed, Broncos County!