FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The marquee games on New England’s schedule are getting to be like pretty much every other game at Gillette Stadium: unending torment for whichever unfortunate team happens to be playing the Patriots.
The Patriots’ game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday featured two of the N.F.L.’s top quarterbacks, two of the top three offenses and the teams with the two best records in the A.F.C., each entering with a four-game winning streak.
It was your basic clash of the titans. It also was no contest.
New England made it five in a row with a surprisingly easy 43-21 victory. In those five wins — all since a humiliating 41-14 loss to Kansas City — the Patriots (7-2) have averaged 40.2 points a game. The Broncos, who beat San Diego in their last game, on Oct. 23, fell to 6-2.
Denver center Manny Ramirez, considering the beating, said, “I have no explanation.” He spoke for all the Broncos, who had no answer for the Patriots’ offense, defense or special teams. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders called the loss “definitely embarrassing.”
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who improved to 9-3 in regular-season meetings against Peyton Manning, threw touchdown passes to four receivers and passed the Broncos great John Elway to move into fifth place in career passing yards. Julian Edelman made one of the touchdown receptions and broke the game open with an 84-yard punt return.
“Everybody plays a role in the offense,” Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said. “Multiple guys make multiple plays to score points. That’s the idea. It’s not stats this, stats that. We’re not playing fantasy football here.”
Manning extended his run of games with a touchdown pass to 47, tying with Johnny Unitas for the third-longest streak in N.F.L. history. But that was Denver’s only real highlight as Gillette Stadium once again proved to be a charnel house for visitors. The victory was the Patriots’ 14th straight at Gillette, and New England has won 34 straight home games against A.F.C. opponents dating to Nov. 30, 2008. Brady has not lost to an A.F.C. team at Gillette in the regular season since Nov. 12, 2006.
Asked if he thought Gillette was a tough place to play, Denver Coach John Fox said, “They make it tough.”
For the second straight year, the ever-quirky New England weather threatened to overshadow one of the most anticipated games of the season.
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On Nov. 24, 2013, in the coldest regular-season game in the history of the stadium, the Patriots rallied from a 24-0 deficit to defeat the Broncos in overtime. On Sunday morning, a nor’easter brought rain, driving snow and high winds. But by the 4:25 p.m. kickoff, the sun was out, the snow had been plowed, and the wind was blowing at a comparatively calm 20 miles per hour.
And this time, the Patriots did not need any come-from-behind theatrics, spotting Denver a 7-3 lead before scoring 24 straight points. Edelman, one of the smallest players on the field — he is listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 200 pounds — made the biggest play of the game, returning a punt for a touchdown midway through the second quarter.
The score was the fourth of Edelman’s career on a punt return. Edelman, who also caught a 5-yard touchdown pass, veered to his right and then cut back across the field, going the 84 yards without a Bronco touching him.
“Mini-tron, what he did on the punt return was incredible,” Brady said, using Edelman’s nickname.
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Edelman said: “I bolted the way we’re supposed to go, and I just saw a bunch of guys blocking their tails off, and we got in the end zone. It was a great team play.”
The return gave New England a 20-7 lead in a game the Patriots seemingly had to win to have any hope of hosting the A.F.C. championship game. (At this point, a playoff berth appears a given.)
Julian Edelman on an 84-yard punt return in the second quarter. Credit Jim Rogash/Getty Images
The Patriots added to their N.F.L.-best turnover ratio with two interceptions, including Manning’s first since Oct. 5, and both interceptions led to New England touchdowns.
“I’ve got to play better,” Manning said. “That’s pretty plain and simple. When the quarterback stinks, usually you’re not going to win too many games.”
Rob Gronkowski, Shane Vereen and Brandon LaFell also caught touchdown.
source: nytimes.com
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