Rookie redeemed with big boot
DENVER — Call it Ryland’s Redemption. The rookie kicker, who has struggled mightily in recent weeks — and missed a 47yard field-goal attempt and an extra-point attempt earlier in the night — was the hero late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 26-23 win over the Broncos, delivering a 56-yard field goal in the final seconds.
On the heels of a miss last week against the Chiefs, it was a great way for the firstyear kicker to atone for some of his past issues.
“I didn’t waver in confidence at all, because I knew the guys I had around me still believed in me and have believed in me all year,” Ryland said. “And that means more to an athlete and even more so a kicker, than I could ever put into words.
“Having that support system with the guys. Having guys like Matt Slater coming up to you and saying ‘Hey man, we’re going to need you in the fourth quarter.’ That’s what it turned out to be. Matt’s a prophet. It turned out to be true. I’m super thankful and blessed to have a team around me that supports me.”
Ryland praised the special teams group as a whole, making sure to give a shout-out to Cody Davis for a scoop-and-score off a Denver fumble.
“I think it’s fun to win,” Ryland said. “At the end of the day, winning is a lot of fun. I’m glad we could contribute to that as a special teams unit tonight. Cody [Davis] scooping and scoring.
“I know how the game ended with the field goal. But at the end of the day, there were a lot of plays that went into tonight that I think showed a good amount of the heart we have as a team, and the belief that we have in each other, because we’re putting in the work, day in and day out. Just keep trending in that direction.”
Douglas doing work
In a sad and sorrowful season for the Patriots’ offense, rookie receiver Demario Douglas has emerged as one of the best and most dependable parts of New England’s passing game.
Sunday night was another impressive outing for the sixth-round pick out of Liberty, who provided a second-half spark. The rookie ended up with five catches on eight targets for 74 yards, and a played a sizable role in the comeback win.
While there were multiple big moments for Douglas, his 41-yard reception in the third quarter — the third-longest play from scrimmage for the New England offense, and his second-longest catch of the season — was a real gem, and highlighted the rookie receiver’s increasingly diverse skill-set.
The 5-foot-8-inch, 192-pounder has carved out a niche with his terrific short-area quickness and explosiveness, but against the Broncos, he went up and high-pointed the ball while jockeying for position with defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian.
Douglas ended up coming down with it, helping the Patriots come away with the first down.
The third quarter was when New England turned a 7-3 deficit into a 23-7 lead, and Douglas was a big reason why the Patriots set a season high for most points in a quarter.
Now with 44 receptions, Douglas set a new rookie record for catches in a season under Belichick (Deion Branch caught 43 in 2002).
Barmore in beast mode
Christian Barmore delivered another impressive game, finishing with three sacks and eight tackles. Barmore now has a team-leading 8.5 sacks on the season . . . Slater, who could be entering the final month of an illustrious 16-year career, was a notable inactive. In addition to special teams captain, some of the most durable Patriots were among those inactive Sunday night against the Broncos, including safety Jabrill Peppers and tight end Hunter Henry. Peppers (hamstring) had played at least 90 percent of the snaps in 12 of the 14 games before Sunday, while Henry (knee) missed his first game since arriving in New England. In addition, running back Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle) were out, while defensive lineman Sam Roberts was a healthy scratch and new quarterback Nathan Rourke was the emergency quarterback.