Seven Takeaways From Patriots’ Christmas Eve Upset Of Broncos

Merry Christmas, Patriots fans.

Let’s unwrap some day-after takeaways from New England’s scintillating 26-23 victory over the Denver Broncos, which ended with a 56-yard game-winning field goal by embattled rookie Chad Ryland.

1. There’s no tank in this team
Yes, a loss Sunday night would have been better for the long-term health of the franchise. But you can’t expect players to care about something like that, and they clearly didn’t.

To deliver a gritty performance like this on the road, on a cold holiday night, as seven-point underdogs, with their playoff dream long dead, showed the Patriots have not quit even as their worst season in decades winds down.

DT Davon Godchaux: "It's all about pride, man. Being willing to compete. We could have easily laid an egg and said 'F— it, let's get ready for Christmas, the season is over.' But we have teams in front of us, and it's good to knock a team like this out of playoff contention."

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 25, 2023

The Patriots will visit the Buffalo Bills on New Year’s Eve before closing out the season against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium.

2. That said, a top-two pick now probably is off the table
With the Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders all losing earlier Sunday, the Patriots’ win dropped them from second to fourth in the 2024 NFL Draft order. Climbing back to third remains possible — 4-11 Washington held a narrow lead in the strength of schedule tiebreaker as of Monday morning — but landing the No. 2 pick likely would require New England to lose out and get help from both the Cardinals and Commanders.

So, while a lot can change between now and draft night, this result probably cost the Patriots a shot at USC quarterback Caleb Williams or North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. They now might be staring at someone like LSU QB Jayden Daniels or Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt.

3. Redemption for Chad Ryland
Man, did Ryland need this one. The rookie was in danger of being left on the tarmac in Denver after badly shanking a 47-yard field goal and doinking an extra point off the upright Sunday night. He’s been the worst statistical kicker in the NFL this season, and this was his shakiest outing yet.

Then Ryland redeemed himself. His 56-yard game-winner with two seconds remaining was his longest field goal as a pro and easily his biggest.

Perhaps this can serve as a turning point for Ryland, who said his confidence never wavered because his teammates continued to support him amid his struggles. A kick like this could go a long way toward saving his roster spot, although odds are he’ll need to win another roster battle this offseason to stick around in 2024.

4. This was Bailey Zappe’s best game of the season
It wasn’t quite the “full game” Zappe said he was aiming for, as the Patriots’ offense looked lost on its first three drives of the night (-4 total yards, no first downs, lost fumble) and its first three drives of the fourth quarter (6 total yards, no first downs).

But the second-year quarterback was on point in the second and third quarters, and overall, this was his finest performance of the season. Zappe completed 75.8% of his passes for 256 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns with, importantly, no interceptions. He hit on big-play completions to Jalen Reagor (28 yards), Demario Douglas (41 yards), Pharaoh Brown (20 yards) and DeVante Parker (27 and 30 yards).

Zappe also snapped the offense out of its fourth-quarter funk with the game on the line. After Denver erased a 16-point deficit in the final nine minutes and New England appeared to be playing for overtime, he connected with Parker for 27 yards on third-and-3, then tossed short completions to Ezekiel Elliott and Mike Gesicki to reach Ryland’s field-goal range.

“I’m on Cloud Nine,” a beaming Zappe told reporters postgame.

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5. Christian Barmore is playing at an All-Pro level
Barmore has been a wrecking ball at the center of New England’s defense since mid-October, and this was his masterpiece.

The third-year D-tackle was everywhere Sunday night, notching a career-high three sacks, four quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and one forced fumble. He also drove a Denver lineman into running back Javonte Williams to complete a fourth-down goal-line stand in the opening minutes.

Barmore leads all Patriots defenders in sacks (8 1/2), QB hits (15) and tackles for loss (11) this season, a rarity for an interior defender. He deserves Pro Bowl consideration and should be a contract extension priority for New England once he becomes eligible this offseason.

6 . Demario Douglas is the most productive rookie receiver of the Bill Belichick era
With five catches for a game-high 74 yards Sunday night, Douglas moved past Deion Branch and into first place among Belichick-era rookies in receptions (44). He’ll likely finish the season as the rookie receiving yardage leader, as well, as he needs just 3 more to surpass Aaron Dobson’s 519. And that’s despite missing three games with concussions.

The Patriots desperately need to upgrade their receiving corps this offseason, but Douglas should be a key part of that unit for years to come. The sixth-round slot receiver wasn’t perfect against the Broncos, however, as he dropped what should have been an easy third-down conversion midway through the third quarter.

7. The Patriots missed Cole Strange
Strange’s season-ending knee injury cut short the best stretch of games of the left guard’s career, and his replacements struggled against Denver. James Ferentz allowed a strip sack on the game’s first play and was benched after just four snaps. Rookie Atonio Mafi entered and was flagged three times for holding, though one of those might have been meant for left tackle Vederian Lowe.

Lowe, the lowest man on New England’s tackle depth chart, started and played 37 snaps in this game because Trent Brown (21 snaps) still was not healthy enough for a full workload. Brown hasn’t played 100% of snaps in a game since Week 8.