5 takeaways from the Denver Broncos' win over the New England Patriots
The Denver Broncos defeated the New England Patriots 18-12 in a Week 6 showdown.
The Denver Broncos made six field goals and didn't score a touchdown on Sunday against the New England Patriots. It was all the Broncos needed to get the win.
Denver took an 18-3 lead into the fourth quarter before New England finally ended the touchdown drought. The Broncos' defense won them this game. After this loss the New England Patriots have entered waters they have not been in since 2002 as a sub-.500 team this far into a season.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
5. Cam Newton needs help.
The New England Patriots need to find Cam Newton some help. They need to get their quarterback more weapons to help him on offense. After his performance today, Newton leads the New England Patriots in rushing yards despite having missed one game when he had COVID-19. There was a moment in the third quarter where Cam was sacked and fumbled the ball. Newton popped up, chased after the ball and recovered his own fumble.
The old Cam would have let that ball go. This is a different Cam Newton, and if the New England Patriots want to get the best Cam possible they need to get him help. The New England Patriots need to get a consistent running game and a deep threat for Cam to show off his playmaking abilities.
4. The Denver Broncos need more from Drew Lock.
Drew Lock is the youngest quarterback to win at New England's Gillette Stadium. But if the Denver Broncos want to make it to the playoffs and make a run at a Super Bowl, they will need Lock to play better. Lock has only thrown one touchdown pass all year.
Lock has not yet shown flashes of being able to make big plays. The Denver Broncos have relied on their defense to win them football games. This brings two questions that the Denver Broncos need to answer:
(1) Are they okay with their Defense holding all the pressure to win football games?
(2) What are they going to do if the Defense doesn't show up and the game is placed on Drew Locke's shoulders?
3. The Broncos' defense is still performing at a high level.
The Denver Broncos' defense showed up on Sunday and played with a purpose. Denver forced Cam Newton to throw two interceptions, and forced New England to fumble the ball. Denver put Cam in situations that he could not get out of and put a ton of pressure on him.
The Broncos' defense gave up one touchdown to Newton in the fourth Quarter. They made up for that touchdown by stuffing Newton on the New England Patriots' two-point conversion attempt.
Denver's defense once again stood their ground and won the football game for the Broncos.
2. Where do the New England Patriots go from here?
The New England Patriots have a lot of questions that need answers. One of the biggest questions is, where can they get help at the wide receiver position? The Patriots could bring in free agent Dez Bryant who seems to be getting back into football shape. The former Dallas Cowboys star would be cheap and give Cam a reliable target downfield.
The long shot would be going out and signing Antonio Brown. This seems unlikely because of the baggage that comes along with Brown, but the Pats have taken a chance on AB before. The Patriots could go out and sign receivers Quincy Enunwa or Paul Richardson. But Bryant would be the best fit for the New England Patriots.
1. This could be the last season Bill Belichick coaches the Patriots
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are not used to losing football games. The big question that was being asked around the NFL for years was whether QB Tom Brady was the reason the Patriots were winning, or was it because of Bill?
As of right now Tom Brady is proving that he was the reason. Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers are rolling at 4-2, while the Patriots are struggling at 2-3.
Is this the last season we could see Belichick as the head coach of the New England Patriots?
If the Patriots do not make the playoffs and end the season with a losing record, it could be the last season for Belichick. Patriots and their fans have to know that Bill will not stick around if they're not winning.
If Brady wins the Super Bowl with Tampa Bay this year, there is nothing left for Bill to prove. So why not walk away?