PATRIOTS’ BRADY RARELY PRESSURED
Tom Brady arrived in Denver on pace to be sacked more this season, at age 40, than in any other season during his NFL career.
The Broncos had often hassled Brady in Denver, sacking him nine times in his last three trips to Sports Authority Field at Mile High. It all seemed to present an opportunity for the Broncos to impact Sunday night’s game with a pass rush that has been absent for much of their five-game swoon.
But there was little magic Von Miller and company could produce against Brady. Justin Simmons sacked the New England quarterback on third-and-goal in the second quarter — the first sack of Simmons’ career — forcing the Patriots to settle for a field goal and a 17-6 lead.
But in the two defining touchdown drives for Patriots — a masterful two-minute march to end the first half and a lengthy response to Denver’s touchdown in the third quarter — the Broncos couldn’t make Brady feel the heat.
On those two touchdown drives, Brady completed 6-of-8 passes for 96 yards, wasn’t sacked and rarely felt pressure. Brady finished 25-of34 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions and a 125.4 quarterback rating in Patriots’ blowout win.
Barbre starts at RT.
Allen Barbre was handed an unenviable assignment Oct. 22 on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers.
With starting right tackle Menelik Watson and his backup, Donald Stephenson, sidelined by calf injuries, Barbre, usually a left guard, was shifted to the outside while being asked to combat perhaps the NFL’s best pass-rushing duo — the Chargers’ Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram.
It was a long afternoon for Barbre and the rest of the offensive line in a 21-0 defeat, the Broncos’ first shutout loss in 25 years.
But with Watson out again Sunday, this time for the season with a torn foot tendon, Barbre got another crack at manning the right tackle position, and his second act was part of an impressive night for Denver’s maligned offensive line. The line kept quarterback Brock Osweiler upright. Osweiler wasn’t sacked and rarely was pressured.
Denver rushed for 118 yards and Osweiler was 18-of-33 passing for 221 yards, a touchdown and interception.
Official injured.
One of the biggest hits of the game was absorbed by umpire Jeff Rice. Patriots linebacker Trevor Reilly inadvertently ran into Rice during a punt play near the end of the third quarter, dropping Rice to the ground. The official was on the ground for several minutes before he was loaded onto a cart and taken off the field.
Footnotes.
In honor of Veterans Day, the Broncos included 300 representatives from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard in a pregame celebration. Thirty-five men and women from the Colorado National Guard ran out of the tunnel with Denver players during introductions. There was a moment of silence before the national anthem to thank veterans and active-duty service members. There also was a rendition of “God Bless America” performed before the fourth quarter . ... Sunday was the 100th consecutive game played by wideout Demaryius Thomas . ... It was the 20th prime-time appearance for the Broncos at home since 2011, the most of any NFL team.