New England’s Chad Ryland, right, reacts after kicking the game winning field goal with two seconds left to give the Patriots a 26-23 win at Denver on Sunday night. AP Photo/David Zalubowski
The game had everything you wanted as a fan.
A young quarterback led the the New England Patriots to his first fourth-quarter comeback on Sunday night. A young kicker found redemption after a rough start to deliver a game-winning kick with seconds left on the clock. We saw a young defensive tackle break out and look like a blue-chip building block for the team’s future. On top of that, a young receiver is having one of the best seasons ever for a rookie in franchise history.
The Patriots wild 26-23 comeback victory over the Denver Broncos was the type of exciting victory that brought back memories of the Tom Brady-led dynasty over the last two decades. Sprinkled between those four quarters were performances that should have Patriots fans excited for the future.
Of course, that excitement was met with mixed results from Patriots fans. Sunday’s win in Denver had everything you wanted as a fan unless you’re one of the many people rooting for the Patriots to get a better draft pick.
The Patriots now enter the final stretch of the 2023 NFL season off a wild win that brought out several pros and one con for this Patriots team.
FALL IN DRAFT ORDER
The Patriots win on Sunday might be franchise-altering – and not in the way you want.
The Patriots entered the weekend with the No. 2 pick in next year’s draft. Following losses by the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders, New England now goes into its final two games with the projected No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. That could have huge ramifications for the future of this team.
Next year’s draft has two blue-chip quarterback prospects at the top of most rankings. A chance to land USC quarterback Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye would be the easiest path back to relevance for the Patriots. Had they lost to the Broncos, they’d still be slotted in that No. 2 pick. Even a top-three pick wouldn’t be horrible since they would have a chance for Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. or LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The No. 4 pick isn’t ideal. The Patriots could still be in a position to draft a quarterback like Daniels. However, this spot also puts them into play for one of the top draft tackles available, such as Notre Dame’s Joe Alt or Penn State’s Olu Fashanu.
It’s a lot easier to rebuild a team with a young, franchise quarterback. If the Patriots can’t land that guy next spring, this rebuild is going to take longer.
With two games left, the Patriots could still sneak into the top three, but it doesn’t look probable.
The Commanders, who are now at No. 3, are facing the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys in their final two games. The Cardinals, the No. 2 team, will play the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks.
The team with the projected No. 1 pick, Carolina, finishes the season against the Jaguars and Buccaneers
Meanwhile, the Patriots play the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. It’s not impossible to see the Patriots beating the Jets, giving them five wins on the season. However, that’s going to make rebuilding this team a tougher challenge – unless they trade up.
BUILDING BLOCKS IMPRESS
Draft order aside, there were some nice performances from young players on the Patriots roster. Their win in Denver gave us a clearer picture of what players will be around to help in the future.
On defense, Christian Barmore was a dominant force on Sunday. The defensive tackle registered three sacks on Russell Wilson in the third quarter. That moved Barmore’s sack total up to 8.5 this season.
The 2021 second-round pick always flashed potential, but this year, the third-year veteran has realized it. This season, Barmore has shown game-wrecking ability. That was evident on Sunday. In the first quarter, Barmore stopped Broncos running back Javonte Williams on the goal line on a fourth-down attempt. He went on to finish with four quarterback hits, three sacks, two tackles for loss, and drew a hold in the fourth quarter.
Barmore, along with rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez, look like blue-chip, building blocks for the Patriots defensive future.
On offense, Demario Douglas continues to look like one of the few bright spots on this Patriots roster. The sixth-round pick out of Liberty has quietly put together one of the best seasons for a rookie receiver in franchise history.
Douglas finished with five catches for 74 yards on Sunday. He has 44 catches for 517 yards this season. Douglas now has the second-most catches by a rookie in the Bill Belichick era and is one catch behind the record holder (Aaron Hernandez).
His 44 receptions are the seventh-most for a rookie in Patriots history. Douglas’ 517 receiving yards are the 12th-most in franchise history for a rookie. He trails Hernandez (563), Rob Gronkowski (546) and Aaron Dobson (519) in the Belichick era.
It’s been a tough season for the offense, but Douglas looks like a keeper.
POSITIVE MOMENTUM
There’s something to be said for younger players learning how to win.
The biggest con from Sunday night was the Patriots’ draft position, but this Patriots team was never going to tank – certainly not under Belichick’s leadership. The hope is that a positive game like this will only help less experienced players in the future.
Two that stuck out on Sunday were quarterback Bailey Zappe and kicker Chad Ryland.
Zappe’s has had a tough second season. He was cut, not claimed, and signed to the Patriots practice squad in September. He’s been inconsistent but has shown decent flashes over the last three weeks. Zappe started Sunday’s game with a strip sack but completed 25 of 33 passes for 256 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
It’s unknown what the Patriots will do with Mac Jones in the offseason, but Zappe’s showing he deserves a spot on the roster. If anything, he looks like a capable backup quarterback. If he continues to improve, Zappe’s future could look even brighter.
Ryland, meanwhile, came into this season with huge expectations after he became the highest-drafted kicker in the Belichick era. But the rookie has struggled, and that was seen on Sunday as he missed a 47-yard attempt and an extra point.
Ryland has connected on just 65% of his field goals this season. That ranks him 32nd out of 33 kickers in the NFL.
The hope is that following his 56-yard game-winning field goal on Sunday, Ryland will finish strong. The Patriots drafted him in the fourth round (112th overall) because he has a huge leg. Ryland, however, needs to improve his consistency.
Some good came out of Sunday even if the Patriots’ upcoming first-round pick took a major hit.
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