What We Learned from Denver Broncos' Win over Patriots on Sunday Night

The Denver Broncos pulled off arguably the most impressive victory of the NFL season on Sunday night, stunning the New England Patriots 30-24 in overtime on a snow-filled Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

So what did this come-from-behind victory teach us about this Broncos team?

First off, we now know that Brock Osweiler is legit. While his overall stats weren’t incredibly impressive (23-of-42 for 270 yards, one touchdown and one interception), Osweiler led the Broncos on key fourth-quarter drives to eventually put his team ahead with just one minute and five seconds left on the clock.

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He wasn't asked to do much, and with the exception of his second-quarter pick, he was able to manage the game effectively by keeping the chains moving.

While Tom Brady and the Patriots seemed to struggle to throw the ball deep late in the game, Osweiler connected on passes of 36 and 39 yards to Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders on the go-ahead drive.

Now, it seems fairly unlikely that Osweiler will become Peyton Manning of the juggernaut 2012-14 Broncos offense, but he has now proved he can make big plays in key moments against a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

The Broncos also showed signs of life in the running game during Sunday night's performance. For most of the season, the Broncos couldn’t even find one reliable option in the running game, but against the Pats, they had two in C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman.

Anderson ran between the tackles for short gains all night before eventually winning the game with a 48-yard run.

Denver has now improved to 5-0 on the year when having a 100-yard rusher, while it has run for just 35 and 69 yards, respectively, in its two losses. Head coach Gary Kubiak's commitment to making the run game work will be an important factor going forward as the Broncos continue to establish some balance on offense.

Sunday night also proved that the Broncos defense is built for cold-weather games.

OK, I know this one is fairly obvious given how strong the Denver defense has been all year, but its ferocious pass rush coupled with solid defensive backs makes this a tough team to move the ball on—especially in inclement weather.

"This is what football is all about," linebacker Von Miller told reporters after the game. "Snowing, every break you’ve got guys coming out there clearing the lines, clearing the hashmarks, this is what the NFL is about … winning games like these, seeing what you can do. When we needed plays, we made plays."

Denver has not allowed a 300-yard passer all season despite facing some of the league's best quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck and Tom Brady.

Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. have held their own in the secondary all season, as they continue to prove they are two of the top corners in the league.

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The real strength of Denver's defense is its linebacker unit, led by Miller. The Texas A&M product has picked up his game recently, recording sacks in four of his last five games, which should strike fear into Denver’s upcoming opponents.

Denver's rushing defense has had its share of struggles this year, allowing opponents to run the ball for over 100 yards on five occasions, including in its two losses. However, it has held its last two opponents to fewer than 100 yards on the ground, and it will face two weaker rushing offenses in San Diego and Oakland in the next two weeks.

If ever there was a time for the Broncos defense to build confidence in stopping the run, now would seem to be it.

It has become apparent that after two losses early in September, Kubiak’s team rebounded behind its suffocating defense and a balanced attack on offense. Osweiler's emergence has been the main story behind Denver's recent success, but its overall balance allowed it to emerge victorious over New England.

"It shows everybody we can beat anyone," linebacker Brandon Marshall told reporters. "And we can. If we do what we have to do, play the way we can play, we can beat anybody."

With seven victories by fewer than seven points, Denver understandably has some doubters this year. However, the talent and leadership are there for the Broncos to gain some momentum and head into the postseason as one of the AFC's most dangerous teams.

Osweiler has earned the opportunity to prove himself, but it will be interesting to see what Kubiak does if he struggles and Manning is healthy enough to play.

Until that decision is made, the Broncos will continue to rely on their swarming defense and a suddenly-emerging running game as they attempt to make a playoff run.