Instant analysis: Patriots stun Broncos in Christmas miracle
After blowing a 16-point second-half lead, the New England Patriots got a last-second field goal from Chad Ryland to stun the Denver Broncos with a 26-23 victory on Christmas Eve at Empower Field.
The word unsung hero doesn’t even begin to do Ryland’s 56-yard field goal justice. He has been up and down all season, to the point where the team brought in extra kickers to work out and potentially threaten his starting job. Even on Sunday, he missed a field goal and an extra point.
Yet, when the game was on the line, Ryland stepped up and put the ball through the upright for the Patriots’ fourth win of the season.
Unlike the previous two games, the offense got off to a sluggish start in the first half before finally coming alive in the second half. They poured it on in the third quarter with three touchdowns, including passing touchdowns to Ezekiel Elliott and Mike Gesicki, along with a special teams touchdown by Cody Davis on a muffed kick return.
Another Patriots TD!
📺: #NEvsDEN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/uY6Dg380OO pic.twitter.com/8gQknngT51— NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2023
However, the real hero of the game, along with Ryland, was Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who had a monstrous game up front. He finished the game with seven tackles, three sacks and four quarterback hits.
It was the sort of game-changing performance that might weigh heavily when the Patriots come to the negotiating table for a potential contract extension with the former Alabama standout.
Beating the Broncos is without question a feel-good moment for the Patriots, but it hurts their standing in the 2024 NFL draft. With the victory, they have dropped to No. 4 in the pecking order, which could put them out of position to land one of the top three quarterbacks.
