DENVER (AP) — The game couldn't have started any worse for the New England Patriots — or finished any better.
A rare highlight in what's been a tumultuous season in New England was a gutsy 26-23 victory in Denver on a cold Sunday night that all but eliminated the Broncos from the postseason picture.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe lost a fumble on the opening snap and the Patriots surrendered a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter but it all worked out in the end when Chad Ryland drilled a career-long 56-yard field goal with two seconds remaining.