One: Denver had a chance.
Look, the Broncos faced a lot of setbacks heading into this game. Most notably, the absence of their starting quarterback Bo Nix. Jarrett Stidham, backup-turned-starter in the biggest game of the season, had not made a start in the NFL in 749 days and had became the first quarterback in league history to make a start in an AFC championship game after not attempting a single pass all season.
That, and the snowstorm made things just a little bit tricky. But, for all the challenges, the Broncos had a real chance in this game. And it was a decision by Sean Payton early in the second quarter that might have cost them.
Up by seven and a chance to go up two scores, the Broncos decided to go for it on fourth down from New England’s 14-yard line, needing a yard to convert. Instead, this happened.
Hindsight is always perfect (even in a snowstorm), but had Denver taken the points there, they would have went up 10-0. It would have given the Broncos a two-score lead early in the game, and more importantly, made it harder for the Patriots to stage a comeback once the conditions got tougher.
Now I suppose, even if the Broncos had a tie game heading into an overtime scenario, the Patriots would have had the edge. But Denver had a chance, and oh, if they had just settled for the three there. Brutal.
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