The Broncos saw their season end in a chilly and bitter loss to the Patriots in Sunday’s AFC championship that ultimately came down to a field goal. New England’s Andy Borregales successfully kicked his 23-yarder through the uprights in the third quarter, which ultimately proved to be the game-winning score that sent the Pats to the Super Bowl.
Long before Borregales’s momentous kick, though, Broncos coach Sean Payton had a pivotal choice to kick a field goal early in the second quarter when Denver was up 7-0. On a fourth-and-short in the Patriots’ red zone, Payton decided to go for it, but Denver ended up turning the ball over on downs after quarterback Jarrett Stidham got chased by a pair of New England defenders and couldn’t complete his pass.
