Week 15: Denver.

[Amy]

This week we are in Denver. Denver has not been a kind place to Brady and the Pats. However, a win gets us in and has a good chance of getting us a bye. Denver needs a win to keep a chance of making the playoffs alive as Miami is currently the #6 seed in the AFC.

The weather in Denver will be sunny and in the 20s.

Key inactives for the Pats are Danny Amendola, Cyrus Jones (who had the horrible game against Baltimore) and the newly picked up Michael Floyd.

Key inactives for the Broncos are Brandon Marshall.

Go Pats! Feed LG!

[Amy]

First Quarter.

I miss the start of the game, since CBS, in it's first year covering the NFL, stayed on bonus coverage of the Texans/Jags for too long. Wait. CBS has been doing this for decades? Wow, how they do they make the mistake of not switching over...

Anyway - I tuned in as Norwood fumbled a punt and we recovered. My guess is we threw three times and 3 and outed to start the game. But I don't know.

The Pats start at the Denver 31. Three and out. A 45 yard FG is good.

3-0 Pats. 12:27 left.

Denver starts at the 25 after a touchback. Four and out.

The Pats start at the 15 with 11:18 left. Three and out.

Denver starts at the 38 with 9:53 left.
1st and 10: Trevor to Forsett for 9.
2nd and 1: Forsett up the middle for 1.
1st and 10: Trevor to Green for 10. Green hurt on the play.
1st and 10: Playaction to Thomas for 23.
1st and 10: Screen to Forsett for 5.
2nd and 5: Pitch to Forsett for no gain.
3rd and 5: Trevor to Booker, overthrow.
4th and 5: 33 yard FG is barely good.

3-3. 6:58 left.

Green has gone to the Denver locker room to be checked for a concussion.

The Pats start at the 25 after a touchback.
1st and 10: Lewis up the middle for 14.
1st and 10: Lewis up the middle for 8.
2nd and 2: Lewis up the middle for 4. Holding on Denver adds 5 yards to the end of the run.
1st and 10: Brady to Bennett, incomplete.
2nd and 10: Lewis for 1.
3rd and 9: Brady to White, drop.
4th and 9: Punt.

Nantz and Simms ignored the game for 4 of the 6 non punt plays on the drive. This is your #1 team? Really? Chatting about awards Nantz accepted for an old golf coach in a 3-3 game? Do the game in front of you, no one watching cares about that other stuff.

Denver starts at the 7 with 4:45 left. Great play by Slater!
1st and 10: Trevor to Thomas for 7.
2nd and 3: Forsett up the middle for 6.
1st and 10: Trevor throw away.
2nd and 10: Trevor to Heurmann for 31. Terrible coverage.
1st and 10: Trevor to Heuremann for 9.
2nd and 1: Booker up the middle for 2.
1st and 10: Draw to Booker for 5.
2nd and 5: Trevor moves around a lot and finds Thomas for 10.
1st and 10: Booker up the middle for 1.
2nd and 9: Trevor to Derby for 6.

That ends the quarter. It's tied, but Denver is outplaying us so far. The offense looks flat, the defense has less intensity than last week.

And Nantz and Simms are just terrible. Terrible.

[Amy]

Brady has started the game 0 for 6, tied for his worst start ever. Two of those were drops.

Second Quarter:

Denver starts with a 3rd and 3 at the Pats 14. Logan Ryan picks the pass off! Pats Ball!

The Pats start at the Denver 46 with 14:50 left.
1st and 10: Brady sacked and fumbles. Thuney falls on it.
2nd and 13: Brady finds Jules for 15. I do not like us in the gun against the Broncos.
1st and 10: Blount up the middle for 8. Comes back on holding on Andrews.
1st and 20: Brady to Jules for 15. Great catch.
2nd and 5: Brady to Jules for 12.
1st and 10: Brady to Develin for 13.
1st and goal (3): Lewis for 2, fumbles and Lewis gets it back.
2nd and goal (2): Blount up the middle for the 2 yard TD!

LG now holds the single season rushing TD record for the Pats. We had a good drive but too many shotgun plays. Ware and Miller feast on the gun. It's like daring something bad to happen to run plays from that formation against them.

10-3 Pats. 11:01 left.

Green is out with a concussion.

Denver starts at the 24.
1st and 10: Play action to Forsett, then a roll out throw to Forsett for 8.
2nd and 2: Forsett loses 1. Branch with the play.
3rd and 3: Offsides, Long.
1st and 10: Trevor to Sanders, high and incomplete.
2nd and 10: Forsett to the left for 2.
3rd and 8: Trevor to Thomas. Great catch. 16 yards.
1st and 10: Booker up the middle for 5.
2nd and 5: Trevor sacked by Flowers!
3rd and 12: Trevor to Taylor, 16.
1st and 10: Play action to Booker gets 2.
2nd and 8: Throw away.
3rd and 8: Dump off to Forsett loses 6 yards.
4th and 14: Punt

The Pats start at the 8 with 5:14 left.
1st and 10: Blunt with a stumbling, ugly, run for 3.
2nd and 7: Lewis up the middle for 4.
3rd and 3: Brady to White for 4.
1st and 10: Blount up the middle for 2.
Pats take timeout #1 with 2:44 left.
2nd and 8: Lewis up the middle for 3.
3rd and 5: Brady to Jules for 5.
Two minute warning.
1st and 10: Brady behind Jules. incomplete
2nd and 10: Lewis up the middle for 13.
1st and 10: Brady to Lewis for 5.
2nd and 5: Brady deep to Lewis, overthrow.
3rd and 5: Brady to Marty for 1.
4th and 4: Punt.

Denver starts at the 20 after a touchback. :32 left. Instead of kneeling, Denver runs Forsett up the middle to end the half.


We won this quarter. but our play has still been sub standard. We need to pick it up to beat them in Denver.

Denver gets the ball to start the second half.

[Amy]

Third Quarter:

Wolfe is out for the game with a neck injury.

Denver starts at the 31 after a very nice return. Three and out. Sheard had a first down sack that disrupted the drive.

The Pats start at the 25 after a nice return by Jules. Three and out. Brady sacked by Ray on 3rd down.

Denver starts at the 37 with 12:16 left. Three and out.

Gus Bradley has been fired by the Jags. Cause, you know, firing a guy with 2 games left helps. The Rams looked sooo much better with an interim coach. Let the guy finish the season.

The Pats start at the 17 with 10:40 left.
1st and 10: Lewis up the middle for 4.
Denver takes timeout #1 with 10:02 left
2nd and 6: Brady to Lewis for 4.
3rd and 2: Brady to Jules for 8.
1st and 10: Play action to Hogan for 18.
1st and 10: Brady to Jules, pass defended by Nelson.
2nd and 10: Lewis up the middle for 4.
Pats take timeout #1 with 7:29 left.
3rd and 6: Brady to Jules. Ugly pass, but it gets 14.
1st and 10: Blount up the middle for 2.
2nd and 8: Blount up the middle for 4.
3rd and 4: Brady drops the snap, picks it up, gets a throw off to Jules, incomplete. Why are we in the gun on 3rd and short at the Denver 22?
4th and 4: 40 yard FG is good.

13-3 Pats. 5:28 left.

Denver starts at the 25. Three and out!

The Pats start at the 10 with 4:25 left.
1st and 10: False Start
1st and 15: Lewis up the middle for 6.
2nd and 9: White up the middle for 1.
3rd and 1: Brady to White for 13.
1st and 10: Lewis up the middle for 5.
2nd and 5: Lewis up the middle for 5.
1st and 10: Lewis up the middle for 4.
2nd and 6: White up the middle for 1.
3rd and 5: Brady to Hogan, drop.
4th and 5: Punt.

The punt ends the quarter. We won the quarter and added to the lead. But we need to finish them!

[Amy]

Fourth Quarter:

Denver starts the 4th at the 7 yard line. Three and out!

The Pats start at the 35 with 13:39 left. Three and out. All passes. Not much time taken off the clock.

Denver starts at the 12 with 12:35 left. Three and out! Brown with a huge 3rd down sack!

The Pats start at the 47 with 10:56 left.
1st and 10: Brady to Bennett for 34!
1st and 10: Brady to Mitchell for 14.
1st and goal (5): Blount gets nothing up the middle.
2nd and goal (5): White goes to the right for 2.
3rd and goal (3): Throw away. Another short yardage shotgun snap. 3 times we've done that, 2 fails.
4th and goal (3): 21 yard FG is good.

16-3 Pats. 8:16 left.

Denver starts at the 25 after a touchback.
1st and 10: Trevor to Derby for 16.
1st and 10: Trevor to Sanders for 21.
1st and 10: Branch bats down the pass at the line.
2nd and 10: Trevor sacked by Flowers and Van Noy.
3rd and 15: Trevor to Thomas for 13.
4th and 2: Trevor to Thomas, Devon knocked the ball out with a solid hit. Thomas is down.

The Pats start at the 30 with 5:58 left.
1st and 10: Blount to the left for no gain. After the play, there were offsetting roughness calls on Hogan and Talib.
2nd and 10: Brady to Mitchell, incomplete. Holding on Miller.
1st and 10: Blount up the middle for 2.
Pats take timeout #2 with 4:40 left.
2nd and 8: Lewis up the middle for 8.
1st and 10: Blount up the middle for 5.
Denver takes timeout #2 with 3:51 left.
2nd and 5: Blount goes to the left for 2.
Denver takes it's last timeout with 3:46 left.
3rd and 3: Brady to Jules, incomplete. After the play, personal foul on Ward. We had another short yardage shotgun play fail, then Ward bailed us out.
1st and 10: Blount up the middle for 3.
2nd and 7: Blount up the middle for 3.
3rd and 4: Blount to the right for 1.
Two minute warning!
4th and 3: Blount for no gain.

Denver takes over at the 26 with 1:54 left.
1st and 10: Trevor to Sanders for 19. (1:37)
1st and 10: Trevor to Thomas, incomplete. (1:23)
2nd and 10: Trevor to Derby, 11 (1:08)
1st and 10: Trevor to Booker, 13 (:44)
1st and 10: Trevor under pressure, throw away, grounding. This also has a 10 second run off (:25)
2nd and 24: Trevor to Norwood, Norwood fumbles. Devon recovers!

Game over!!

We win! With the win we:

Get into the playoffs;
Get a first round bye; and
Set the NFL record for most consecutive years winning a division title at 8.

However, we had some really strange play call choices and against a team with an offense that could have hurt us.