New England Patriots: Protection for Tom Brady was key in win over Denver
By Nick Ziegler
The New England Patriots were able to earn a victory against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football. In the win, the offensive line played very well.
On Sunday Night Football, the New England Patriots were able to make quite the statement with a blowout win over the Denver Broncos. While the Broncos have not played well of late, this was a team and a stadium that has given the Patriots a lot of problems in the recent past.
However, the Patriots have now won two straight games in Denver, and their struggles in the Mile High City might be over. In the win, the Patriots were able to score 41 points, as it was the second straight week that the Broncos allowed more than 40 points.
While the high score by the Patriots would indicate that the Broncos’ defense struggled, a lot of their issues started with the special teams. In the first half alone, the special teams cost the Broncos 17 points, as the unit really put the defense in tough spots.
With an offense that isn’t nearly explosive or talented enough to keep up with the Patriots, it became clear that the Patriots were going to have an easy win. Despite the success, there were a few key things that helped the Patriots win. Arguably the most important was the protection of Tom Brady.
One of the reasons why the Patriots have struggled in Denver is because of the excellent pass rush of the Broncos. With Von Miller leading the way, Denver is usually able to bother Brady quite a bit. Even though the Patriots were without starting right tackle Marcus Cannon, the Broncos only sacked Brady once in the game. Keeping Brady upright led to him having one of his best games ever in Denver.
Overall, the Patriots did an excellent job against Miller, as he only totaled one quarterback hit, and was held without a sack. Protecting Brady was a big issue for the team in the first half of the season, but the offensive line looked very good against a talented front for Denver.
Next: Ranking the 10 greatest quarterbacks in franchise history
With a 7-2 record now, the Patriots are pulling away in the AFC East. With home-field and a first-round bye well within reach, that will certainly be the goal for the team moving forward.