New England Patriots: Four Takeaways From Blowout Win Over The Denver Broncos

Nov 2, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) prepares to make a pass during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

3. Offensive Line Continues Rapid Improvement

After four weeks of some of the worst offensive line play I have ever seen, the Patriots front five has turned it around over this five game winning streak. Tom Brady, while still under pressure at times, has had ample time to work in the pocket, which is why this offense is flourishing.

Coming into Sunday’s game, I pinpointed the offensive line as the group that had to play the game of their lives in order for New England to win, and that is exactly what they did. I thought Denver’s defense was severely overhyped in the days leading up to this matchup, but one aspect of their defense that was for real was their pass rush. The combination of DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller on the outside was no joke, and if the Patriots couldn’t contain them, there would be trouble.

But Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer put their game faces on, and easily won that battle on the edge. Denver managed only one sack on 54 Brady dropbacks, and it was a sack that really could have been marked up as a zero yard Brady scramble.

New England had a huge day offensively, and Brady and the wideouts/tight ends deserve all the credit they will undoubtedly receive. But let’s not forget about this offense line that has done a complete 180 in the past month, because if they didn’t change their play after that Kansas City win, the Pats’ offense would still be struggling.