DENVER - Leave it to the Patriots to ruin things for everybody else.
Sports fans of America yesterday turned their eyes toward this stadium one mile above sea level, hoping to see another miracle; a burning bush, a football Fatima, perhaps 80,000 fans feasting on a few fishes and loaves.
No. There was no Tebow Time this time. Instead, we witnessed another routine execution by the brutal New England assassins who’ve ruled the AFC East in nine of the past 11 seasons.
Patriots 41, Broncos 23. Praise the Lord and pass the humble pie. The Patriots are 11-3, division champs again, and look like they’re poised for a first-round playoff bye and maybe a couple of home games in a quest for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. Like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady came into this western town, emptied the banks, then laughed all the way home. We’ve seen them do it a million times.
Tim Tebow and the Broncos? They’ll spend this week spitting out pieces of their broken luck wondering where the magic went in Week 15 against the Patriots. Winners of six straight, the Broncos did what so many others have done in this football century; they lost their way against Belichick and Brady and beat themselves with a bundle of fumbles, penalties, and stupid plays. As ever, the Patriots were happy recipients of the opposition’s meltdown.
There was no shortage of hype leading into this one. First-place Denver had won seven of eight since Tebow took over for Kyle Orton in October. The Broncos were America’s team and Tebow was the Mile High Messiah, spinning fourth-quarter gold, week after holy week. Three times in eight weeks he won in overtime. Last week against the Bears he put himself on the cover of Sports Illustrated, leading a comeback from a 10-0 deficit in the final 4:34.
There was none of that yesterday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Tebow and the Broncos gashed the Patriots defense out of the gate, driving for two touchdowns and a field goal in their first three possessions. Then they fumbled on three consecutive possessions, giving the Patriots the ball in Denver territory each time. Nobody who throws like Tebow (think Matt Young delivering to first base after handling a comebacker to the mound) is going to overcome those kinds of giveaways against a Belichick team.
“You’re not going to be minus-3 against the New England Patriots and win many ballgames,’’ said Denver coach John Fox. “Having played them very many times, I know that to be true.’’
