Patriots-Broncos takeaways: Upset win hurts Pats’ draft position originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots defied the odds — literally, they were 7-point underdogs — Sunday night and upset the Denver Broncos with a 26-23 win on the road.
This game was 7-3 Broncos at halftime. It looked like we were headed for a snoozefest. But that’s the opposite of what transpired in the second half. The Patriots scored 20 consecutive points in the third quarter and entered the fourth quarter with a 23-7 lead. The Broncos scored 16 unanswered in the fourth quarter to tie the score.
And then the Patriots drove into Broncos territory in the final minute of regulation, giving rookie kicker Chad Ryland a 56-yard field goal attempt for the win. He nailed it.
The Patriots improved to 4-11 with the victory. They slid from the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the No. 4 pick as a result (more on that below).
The Patriots will travel to Buffalo to play the Bills in Week 17 for their final road game of the season. But before we look ahead to that matchup, here are five takeaways from Patriots-Broncos.
Patriots fall to No. 4 pick in the draft
This win could end up hurting the Patriots’ ability to rebuild their roster with a top quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Patriots entered Week 16 owning the No. 2 overall pick, but as a result of Sunday’s win, they have slid two spots to the No. 4 spot.
Here’s the updated top four of the first round:
4. New England Patriots, 4-11
3. Washington Commanders, 4-11
2. Arizona Cardinals, 3-12
1. Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers, 2-13)
The Patriots are tied with the Washington Commanders for the third-worst record at 4-11. But the Commanders are in the No. 3 pick slot because they have a worse strength of schedule than the Patriots (.493 to .525), and that’s the first tiebreaker. The Commanders end the season with games against the Cowboys (10-5) and 49ers (11-3), so they’re unlikely to win another game. The Cardinals finish…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-broncos-takeaways-upset-win-044601658.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2023-12-25 04:56:31
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