2013 Broncos Season, Week 12

A mighty wind blew against the Broncos on Sunday night, and after a fast start they couldn't keep up with the New England Patriots.

Week 12: Patriots 34, Broncos 31 OT
Season Record: 9-2 (6-0 Home)
Key Play: With the Broncos up 24-0 at the half, the Patriots came out fired up to compete in the second half at home. After a few quick plays, Tom Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski on a 33-yard completion that took the ball to the Denver 18. The Patriots quickly scored, beginning a run of 31-straight points to take the lead back.

Recap: Last Monday night, as the Patriots came up short against the Panthers thanks to a brutal no call in the end zone, my heart sank. I like and appreciate the Patriots, but I wasn't upset they lost, just that they lost a heart-breaking game right before playing the Broncos. That's not the way you want to go in to meet the Patriots, a team that rarely loses multiple games in a row. In addition, the Broncos had to play in a game that featured icy cold temperatures and high wind, not a recipe for success for a team built on quick, precision passing. But all those fears seemed to melt in the first quarter, as the Patriots came out sloppy and the Broncos amassed a big lead. When it was 24-0 at the half, I knew I should be happy —  but I was worried. We were up big, but it was sort of a fluke. And despite catching all the breaks, the Broncos hadn't really gotten their offense going — save for the work of Knowshon Moreno on the ground. Those fears were realized during a second half where it was the Broncos who were sloppy, and the Patriots who came ready to play. This overtime thriller could be called a good game, but really when I look at it each team only played well in one half. They weren't exactly both clicking at the same time — as had been the case in the Chiefs' loss to the Chargers Sunday afternoon. Instead, Denver experienced a number of injuries, sloppy play, and an inability to get the offense going. I loved watching John Elway. He was — and still is — my favorite player. But later in his career, you could see that injuries and hits had taken a toll. Sometimes he would roll out on a play he'd done a million times and just sort of lose the ball. That same thing is now happening to Peyton Manning. Whether it is the mileage, the injuries, or his age, he can't do all the things he used to do — and in a game like Sunday night it shows. The Broncos are still in first place in the AFC West and the AFC in general, but they need to correct some of these bigger issues. Fortunately the Chiefs defense — its best unit — experienced a number of injuries yesterday as well, which could help the Broncos get a big win on Sunday. Right now, they're gonna need it.

Game Balls:
* Knowshon Moreno. Moreno has been much maligned during his time with the Broncos, but he was the offense on Sunday night. He had 224 yards and a touchdown on an incredible 37 carries, really helping keep the Broncos in the game. Sadly he was injured late, so we'll hope it's not for too long.

* Von Miller. Miller played his best game of the season. He ran a fumble in for a touchdown, caused a lot of havoc in the pocket for Tom Brady and really fueled the defense. The Broncos wore down a bit thanks to injuries, but it was good to see Miller regaining his Pro Bowl form of a year ago.

* Jacob Tamme. Tamme hasn't played much of a role for the Broncos this season, but with Julius Thomas out and the Broncos' receivers struggling, Tamme came up with some big catches to keep drives alive. That is what you need from a veteran tight end, and he delivered.

Lingering Concerns:
* Sloppy Play. The Broncos continue to struggle at times. I love Trindon Holliday's ability as a returner, but he makes too many crucial mistakes. You can't fumble the ball on returns, run the ball out and get terrible field position, and muff punts. We simply can't win with that happening. He needs to get a better fix on the ball.

* Running back depth. Montee Ball had a couple nice games, but last night his big problem returned — like Ronnie Hillman he is prone to fumble at key times. His fumble last night gave the Patriots a score and put the Broncos in a terrible position. He was then sent to the bench. But with Moreno potentially out some time, Ball, Hillman, and CJ Anderson are going to have to step it up, and that starts with holding on to the ball.

* Health issues. When the Broncos kept 11 defensive backs on the regular season roster, it seemed like too many. After the past couple weeks, it doesn't seem like enough. The Broncos' secondary hasn't been incredible, but it's been solid when the key players are there. We just can't keep our best defenders on the field. A lot of people were injured last night. Let's hope they can bounce back quickly.