Loss to Patriots No Reason to Panic for Broncos, Still Playoff Contenders

The Denver Broncos suffered their second—and biggest—loss of the season in Week 9 against the New England Patriots. The final score of 43-21 was the biggest deficit for the Broncos in 2014, and the team struggled in all three facets of the game (offense, defense, special teams).

After the game, quarterback Peyton Manning commented on his performance.

“I thought we were just pretty dead average on offense, I thought I was very below average, didn’t play well. So that’s all I can speak for, is really me. I’ve got to play better. I’ve got to do that starting next week.”

Manning passed for 438 yards with two touchdowns, but his two interceptions helped turn the tide of the game in favor of the Patriots.

Ronnie Hillman received his fourth start of the year, but he didn’t enjoy the same type of success that he had in his first three starts. The Broncos ground game didn’t get much going against the Patriots, and Hillman finished the game with only 16 yards rushing on 10 carries with one rushing touchdown.

Hillman had an explanation for what the Patriots did to slow down the rushing game of the Broncos.

“It was just filling gaps. They made it hard to run and they stifled the run tonight. Hats off to them and they did a great job. It is very disappointing; whenever you lose it is disappointing. So lesson learned and we go back and watch the film.” Hillman exclaimed, “The good thing is we can get better after tonight.”

The Broncos moved the ball through the air, and Hillman, Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders all had good days catching the football. However, the team struggled to keep the chains moving on third and fourth down.

Denver went 3-of-11 on third downs, and their fourth-down efficiency was worse. They went for it on fourth down four times against the Patriots, and they failed to convert any of those attempts.

Part of the reason why they went for it so many times (other than playing from behind) was the fact that kicker Brandon McManus missed a 41-yard field goal in the second quarter of the game. The kicker that replaced Matt Prater has now missed three of his nine attempts this season.

McManus talked about the miss in the locker room after the game.

“I thought I hit the ball well but unfortunately I left it open a little bit, so I didn’t hit it as well as I wanted. The wind may have pushed it over there to the upright.”

The second quarter was full of big plays for the Patriots, including another Broncos gaffe on special teams. Punter Britton Colquitt fumbled the snap on fourth down, kicked later than anticipated and it was returned 84 yards for a touchdown by wide receiver Julian Edelman.

Stephan Savoia/Associated Press

Defensively, the Broncos struggled to put Tom Brady under pressure.

Von Miller was held without a sack for the first time since Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. As a team, the Broncos only finished with one sack (DeMarcus Ware) on the day. Giving Brady time to throw was the death knell for the Broncos on Sunday—and the veteran quarterback made them pay by throwing for 333 yards and four touchdowns.

Sunday was a day that most Broncos fans would like to forget.

There is a segment of the fanbase that (shockingly) thinks this loss was no big deal. These fans will declare that Sunday was going to be a loss anyway, and losing to the Patriots in Week 9 is no big deal.

There is also another portion of the fans that are hitting the red (jolly candy-like) panic button. Losing to the Patriots was a big test for the Broncos, and they certainly received an “F” for their efforts.

Both of these mindsets are incorrect.

The Broncos did not play their best game on Sunday, but there’s no reason to panic as the team is still clearly a Super Bowl contender and one of the best teams in the conference. However, this loss was a big one—and most importantly, it may have ramifications when it comes to playoff seeding later in the year.

Let’s take a look at the other teams in the AFC who might be playoff bound and how the Broncos stack up.

AFC Standings

In the AFC East, the Patriots sit at the top of the division. We might see the Buffalo Bills make a push for the postseason if they continue their winning ways, but they’d most likely have to get in as a wild card.

Team	W	L	T
New England Patriots	7	2
Buffalo Bills	5	3
Miami Dolphins	5	3
New York Jets	1	8

The AFC North is wide open at this time. Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati could all three make the playoffs just like we saw three teams make the postseason from the AFC West in 2013. Even the Cleveland Browns could stay on the winning track and try to make an improbable run at the postseason.

Team	W	L	T
Cincinnati Bengals	5	2	1
Pittsburgh Steelers	6	3
Cleveland Browns	5	3
Baltimore Ravens	5	4

The AFC South is essentially a one-team race. The Colts are one of the best teams in football, and Andrew Luck continues to show most weeks why he’s the best young quarterback in the game today.

Team	W	L	T
Indianapolis Colts	5	3
Houston Texans	4	5
Tennessee Titans	2	6
Jacksonville Jaguars	1	8

Then you have the AFC West division with the Broncos currently on top. The San Diego Chargers have lost three games in a row, and they're trending downward. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs are winning games, and they could push for back-to-back playoff appearances under head coach Andy Reid.

Team	W	L	T
Denver Broncos	6	2
Kansas City Chiefs	5	3
San Diego Chargers	5	4
Oakland Raiders	0	8

Who Gets the No. 1 Seed?

So which team gets home-field advantage throughout the playoffs? This week’s loss to the Patriots might keep the Broncos from being the No. 1 seed in the AFC for the first time in the Manning era.

Both the Patriots and the Broncos have two losses this year, so their remaining schedules will determine which team comes out on top.

Looking over the remaining schedule for the Broncos, there are two games that stand out. The Week 13 game on the road against the Chiefs is far from a guaranteed win. The Week 16 game—also on the road—against the Bengals could also prove to be a bit of a challenge for Denver.

Week	Opponent	Opp. Record
10	@ Oakland Raiders	0-8
11	@ St. Louis Rams	3-5
12	vs. Miami Dolphins	5-3
13	@ Kansas City Chiefs	5-3
14	vs. Buffalo Bills	5-3
15	@ San Diego Chargers	5-4
16	@ Cincinnati Bengals	5-2-1
17	vs. Oakland Raiders	0-8

At this time, it looks like the Broncos should be a 12-4 team at worst when the season is over.

Looking at the remaining schedule for the Patriots, there are three games to highlight. They have a bye in Week 10, but after that, they go on the road in Week 11 for a Sunday night matchup against the Colts. Week 12 is a tough game at home against the Detroit Lions and their ferocious defense. Finally, Week 13 should be a great game as the Patriots travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers.

Week	Opponent	Opp. Record
10	bye
11	@ Indianapolis Colts	5-3
12	vs. Detroit Lions	6-2
13	@ Green Bay Packers	5-3
14	@ San Diego Chargers	5-4
15	vs. Miami Dolphins	5-3
16	@ New York Jets	1-8
17	vs. Buffalo Bills	5-3

At this time, the Patriots are looking like an 11-5 team in a worst-case scenario.

Many things can change between now and the end of the season. There always seem to be upsets that nobody was expecting as the season wears on. However, if things play out as expected, the race between the Patriots and the Broncos for the No. 1 seed is going to come down to the wire.

If they finish with the same record, then it’s the Patriots who will get the top seed in the tournament we call the NFL playoffs.

Winning at Foxborough is tough for any team. Going back their for another game against the Patriots could be the thing that dashes the Broncos' Super Bowl aspirations in 2014.

It’s not time to push the panic button for Denver, but damn that would have been a nice victory for the Broncos on Sunday.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via email from the Denver Broncos unless otherwise noted.