Patriots-Broncos: What we learned

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- More than a few New England Patriots fans left at halftime of Sunday night's game.

After all, their team coughed the ball up three times in the first quarter, trailed 24-0 after 30 minutes and was booed off the home turf at the break. The game-time wind chill, with a 22 mph wind blowing, was 6 degrees, it was a Sunday night, meaning there was Monday morning work and school.

A perfect time to make a run for it.

Those who exited early missed a wild second half and then an overtime that ended Monday morning and the largest comeback in Patriots history.

New England, led by quarterback Tom Brady, scored 31 consecutive points to take the lead, allowed the Broncos to tie the game, then got an incredibly lucky bounce to win in overtime. The Patriots escaped with a 34-31 victory, surviving the latest matchup of Brady and fellow future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.

"If someone punches you in the face, do you turn around and walk away? Or do you fight back," New England defensive end Rob Ninkovich said.

They fought back, and then got the game-winning break.

After New England's second unsuccessful possession of overtime, a Ryan Allen punt was waved off by Denver return man Wes Welker, who allowed the ball to hit the ground. The ball then bounced off Denver cornerback Tony Carter, a former Patriot, and was recovered by Patriots safety Nate Ebner at the Broncos 13-yard line. After two runs into the line, Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 31-yard field goal.

The 24-point deficit was the largest ever overcome by New England. The franchise's previous record came when the Patriots escaped a 23-0 hole against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 16, 1984, winning 38-23.

Because of a stiff wind, Patriots coach Bill Belichick decided to take the wind rather than the ball after New England won the overtime toss. The decision worked out.

Gostkowski's 21st consecutive field-goal attempt ended it, and New England (8-3) prevailed despite a dreadful first half.

"We didn't give ourselves much of a chance in the first half," Brady said.

After Brady led the Patriots to 31 consecutive points, Manning took his team 80 yards for the tying score, and the game went into overtime, where it looked as if it might end in the NFL's second tie of the day.

Then came the bounce.

"Regardless of how it goes down, you've got to put it behind you quickly in this business," Denver interim coach Jack Del Rio said. "You learn your lesson and go forward."

While the Patriots kept losing the ball in the first quarter, by the end of the game, the Broncos (9-2) also lost three fumbles.

Brady, 10-for-17 for 81 yards at the half, hit 15 of his first 17 second-half passes and threw for three touchdowns, two to wide receiver Julian Edelman, who caught nine passes for 110 yards. He was working against a banged-up Denver defense that lost cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to a shoulder injury and seemed to have someone limping off on every play.

Brady finished 34-for-50 for 344 yards. Manning was 19-for-36 for 150 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

"A disappointing second-half performance giving them two short fields," said Manning, who lost his third consecutive matchup against Brady and the Patriots (with the Indianapolis Colts and the Broncos). "We just can't do that to our defense. We just didn't do a good job protecting the ball in that second half."

The loss overshadowed a career night by Denver running back Knowshon Moreno, who ran for a career-high 224 yards and a touchdown on 37 carries.

What the Patriots said

"I don't know. One minute we were down 24-0, the next minute we were kicking a game-winning field goal. I don't know. It went fast, man. Play after play, defense made plays, offense made plays, and we were kicking the field goal." -- Cornerback Aqib Talib.

What the Broncos said

"We lost. We had some chances to put some points on the board late, and they played better than us today." -- Running back Knowshon Moreno.

What we learned about the Patriots

1. Never count this team out. While 24 points is the largest deficit ever overcome by the Patriots to win a game, coming back is nothing new, and it can't really be a shock when a team is led by quarterback Tom Brady.

2. Rob Gronkowski doesn't have to be the focal point of the New England receiving offense. The big tight end caught seven passes, one for a touchdown, but wide receiver Julian Edelman caught nine balls, two for touchdowns, and running back Shane Vereen had eight catches.

What we learned about the Broncos

1. This shouldn't be a shocker by now, but quarterback Peyton Manning, who put up most of his Hall of Fame numbers playing his home games indoors, does not like playing in cold weather. He was 19-for-36 for 150 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in Sunday night's loss.

2. The Broncos may be overrated. A week after beating the Chiefs and a week before going to Kansas City in a showdown for the AFC West lead, Denver blew a 24-point halftime lead in New England. Games like that have to be put away.