The surging Patriots traveled to Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado, for a primetime matchup against the Denver Broncos. The Broncos were led by quarterback Brock Osweiler, who replaced embattled QB Trevor Siemian in week eight. The Broncos entered the game on a four-game losing skid. The Broncos defense has struggled all year despite being a perennial candidate for best defense in the league. Meanwhile, the Patriots were coming off of a rest week looking for their fifth win in a row. The Patriots have historically struggled against the Broncos and hoped to prove themselves with a statement win.

The game started with a three and out by the Patriots offense. However, Broncos punt returner Isaiah McKenzie fumbled the punt directly into the arms of Patriots tight end Jacob Hollister. This special teams magic set up an easy receiving touchdown to Rex Burkhead. The Broncos responded with a 39-yard field goal to make the score 7-3. On the very next kickoff, Broncos kicker Brandon McManus kicked it deep to Patriots running back Dion Lewis. Lewis wiggled in between tacklers before accelerating to score the 103-yard kickoff return touchdown. The Broncos once again responded with a 33-yard field goal.

The second quarter began with a Stephen Gostkowski field goal to increase the Patriots lead to 17-6. The very next drive, the Patriots defense took a stand to stop the Broncos offense. They shut them down on six plays in a row and followed this by blocking a punt. The Patriots’ special teams efforts were helping them smother the Broncos. The Patriots entered halftime leading 27-9.

The Broncos quickly put up a touchdown to start the second half to gain some momentum. Their comeback ended with the Patriots next drive, which took them 75 yards downfield for the score. The Patriots would score again and force an interception to close out the game. The final score on Sunday night was 41-16 Patriots.

Things to note:

• Patriots TE Dwayne Allen caught his first pass of the year for an 11-yard touchdown.
• The Patriots acquired Packers TE Martellus Bennett on November 9th after Green Bay dropped him for “failure to disclose a condition.” Bennett played on Sunday with a torn rotator cuff and managed 38 yards on three receptions.
• Tom Brady still leads the NFL in passing yards with 2,807 passing yards and is second place in the league in QBR (quarterback rating). Brady proved critics wrong with his masterful three-touchdown performance in Denver against the “No Fly Zone” Broncos secondary.
• The Patriots will spend all of this week in Colorado. They are staying at the Air Force Academy where they will practice all week for their week eleven matchup.
• Patriots special teams capitalized big on Denver’s mistakes and deserve a lot of credit for the way they performed on Sunday night.
• The Patriots face an up-and-coming Oakland Raiders in week eleven. The Raiders are led by sensational quarterback Derek Carr and speedy receiver Amari Cooper. The game is Sunday, November 19th, at 4:25 PM in Mexico City.