It would’ve been easy for the beleaguered and banged-up Patriots to mail it in after flying across the country to play on Christmas Eve. And it would’ve been easier for them to fold after blowing a 16-point fourth-quarter lead.
Instead, New England left Denver with a dramatic 26-23 Sunday night win over the Broncos, who might’ve watched their playoff hopes go up in smoke.
The Patriots got off to a sluggish start and trailed 7-3 at halftime. But Bill Belichick’s team scored 20 unanswered points in the third quarter, including returning a fumbled kickoff return for a touchdown.