The New England Patriots broke the game open against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night in just a matter of seconds late into the third quarter. What was a 9–7 lead for the Patriots quickly ballooned into a much larger advantage courtesy of a pair of quick touchdowns from New England.
With 1:34 remaining in the third quarter, Bailey Zappe connected with tight end Mike Gesicki for a touchdown, extending the lead to 16–7. On the ensuing kickoff, Broncos kick returner Marvin Mims had some difficulty controlling the ball.
After scooping it up off the ground, New England’s Marte Mapu managed to poke the ball free. Safety Cody Davis grabbed the loose ball and waltzed into the end zone for another touchdown.
Merely six seconds had ticked down on the game clock between Gesicki’s touchdown reception and Davis’s fumble recovery, as the Patriots quickly flipped the game on its head.
Have a look at the bonkers sequence:
Zappe to Gesicki extends the @Patriots lead!
— NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2023
📺: #NEvsDEN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/uY6Dg380OO pic.twitter.com/WrETjMvsOZ
Another Patriots TD!
— NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2023
📺: #NEvsDEN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/uY6Dg380OO pic.twitter.com/8gQknngT51
Neither offense had been extremely efficient through two-plus quarters of play, but New England’s sudden outburst of scoring left the crowd at Mile High Field stunned.
Back in 2019, the Atlanta Falcons made NFL history by scoring two touchdowns in two seconds of game time to beat the San Francisco 49ers. Although the Patriots needed a bit more time to add 14 points to their tally, it was a jaw-dropping turn of events in Denver.
