Sean Payton Explains Broncos Not Kicking FG in 1st Half of 10-7 Loss to Patriots in AFC Title Game

After choosing to go for it rather than taking the field goal on fourth down in the second quarter of Sunday's AFC championship against the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton explained his rationale.

"I think the feeling was to be aggressive," Payton told reporters when asked about the decision.

Payton added:

Denver led the Patriots 7-0 early in the second quarter when the Broncos faced a fourth-and-1 at New England's 14-yard line. While a field goal would have been a chip shot, Payton was hoping to go up by 14 rather than 10, but his plan failed.

On the Broncos' next drive, quarterback Jarett Stidham fumbled and gave the Pats the ball in their own territory, and they managed to even things up. New England took the lead early in the third quarter with a field goal. Those three points were the last of the game, so not kicking the field goal in the second certainly came back to bite the Broncos.

"There's always regrets," Payton told reporters when asked about not taking the field goal.

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While Payton's decision to go for it was certainly the riskier option, a field goal wouldn't have been a sure thing given the snowy conditions. In fact, Broncos kicker Wil Lutz was 0-for-2 on field goals for the day while Patriots kicker Andy Borregales was 1-for-3.

Lutz had a field goal blocked by the Patriots late in the fourth quarter that would have tied things up.

"Unfortunately you couldn't see the lines on the field," Lutz told reporters. "We might have been a yard short on the snap."