Broncos head coach Sean Payton probably will replay one sequence from Sunday’s AFC Championship Recreation loss to the Patriots again and again in his head.
The Broncos had an opportunity to take a stranglehold of the title bout early within the second quarter, nevertheless it became a game-altering play that swung momentum within the Patriots’ favor en path to a 10-7 victory at Empower Subject at Mile Excessive and a berth in Tremendous Bowl LX.
Already main, 7-0, Payton gambled when he saved the Broncos offense on the sphere for a fourth-and-1 at New England’s 14-yard line. Jarrett Stidham’s go on the play fell incomplete and the possibility to place essential factors on the scoreboard in a transparent defensive battle was wasted away by the Broncos.
“There’s at all times regrets, you recognize,” Payton told reporters in Denver. “Look, I felt like, ‘Right here we’re, fourth-and-1.’ We felt shut sufficient. It’s additionally a name you make primarily based on the group you’re taking part in and what you’re watching on the opposite facet of the ball. So yeah, there’ll at all times be second ideas.”
Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones’ all-out hustle to cease a Stidham scramble simply in need of the first-down marker arrange the fourth-down choice for Payton and the Broncos. The Broncos thought issues over and known as a timeout. Payton mentioned they had been initially going to run the ball however in the end went with preserving the ball within the palms of Stidham, who got here into the competition having not thrown a go in an NFL sport since 2023 and completed 17-for-31 passing for 133 yards with one landing and two turnovers.
Stidham faked a handoff on the play and instantly had Patriots star defensive deal with Milton Williams in his face. Stidham obtained off a hurried go into the flat, however Patriots security Craig Woodson was there and practically picked it off.
“Really there was a clock stoppage, so we had a nickel-run known as,” Payton mentioned. “It’s a slipper-naked that we run fairly properly. They performed a 6-1 entrance with sort of a two-deep shell. So hindsight, the preliminary sub-run thought was the higher choice.”
Payton’s choice was curious within the second given the best way his protection dominated within the first half. The Patriots totaled simply 12 yards on 12 performs within the first quarter and didn’t choose up their second first down of the sport till halfway by way of the second quarter.
And with a swirling snow falling within the second half which made scoring close to unattainable, the Broncos wanted to seize factors when the scenario arose. However Payton went in opposition to that and it proved very expensive in a sport determined by three factors.
“I simply felt like we had momentum to go up 14,” Payton mentioned. “I felt like we had a superb name. I feel the sensation was, let’s be aggressive. I used to be simply watching the best way our protection was playin. … There can be a variety of issues once we watch the tape I’ll take a look at and critique and pay shut consideration to. It was a hard-fought sport and we didn’t do sufficient to win it.”
