Patriots’ exciting Christmas Eve victory at Denver comes with shocking experience as the player decide.
There were positive signs – including Chad Ryland’s game-winning 56-yard field goal with seconds left – but the Pats drop from No. 2 to No. 4 in the NFL draft order.
The game had everything you wanted as a fan.
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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.
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.
