Week 16 preview: Broncos having the type of season the Patriots were expected to

The good news is the Patriots only have three games left in this nightmare season. The bad news is the Patriots still have three games remaining.

These could be the last three games Patriots fans have to see Bill Belichick patrolling the Patriots’ sideline. There have been conflicting reports as to whether or not a decision has already been made by ownership regarding Belichick’s future. Tom E. Curran has reported Kraft made up his mind to part ways at the end of the season with the legendary head coach following their embarrassing loss in Germany to the Colts. Ian Rapoport reported after Curran’s report that no decision had been made yet.

Either way it looks like we are on the precipice of a new chapter in New England Patriots’ history. The Patriots will likely be drafting a future franchise quarterback next year. They will, most likely, have a new head coach and a whole new coaching staff. They will, most likely, have a new general manager in charge of drafting and signing free agents.

The Patriots will be venturing to Denver to play the resurgent Denver Broncos. In many ways Denver is having the type of season I thought the Patriots would have this year. Denver started the season 0-3 and then 1-5. There was a time when Denver was in the conversation for being in contention for the number one pick in next year's draft. Now they are in the conversation for being in contention for a playoff spot.

The Patriots had a tough schedule to start the season with expected losses against Philadelphia, Miami, and Dallas wrapped around an expected victory against the Jets. That is the way things played out for the Patriots as they started the season 1-3. 

Where things went awry for the Patriots is when they lost the next two winnable games against Washington and the Raiders to fall to 1-5, just like the Broncos. Unlike the Broncos, there was no turnaround for the Patriots.

There are a couple of road stadiums that have always been a house of horrors for the Patriots, no matter how dominant those Patriots’ teams were at the time. Miami is one of those locations. Denver is the other one. From 1972 through 1998, Denver won 11 consecutive home games against the Patriots. 

That was a long time ago, you say? That was pre-Brady, you say? From 2001-2017, Denver won seven of ten in Denver, including the 2017 AFC Championship game which led to a past-his-prime Peyton Manning Super Bowl ring.

So things don’t look good for this 3-11 Patriots’ team. The Patriots will be without their two best offensive weapons, Rhamondre Stevenson and Kendrick Bourne. They may be without their next two best offensive weapons, Trent Brown and Hunter Henry. The Patriots’ offense has ranked near or at the bottom of the league all season as it is.

Denver’s overall defensive numbers don’t look that great. They are 31st out of 32 teams in yards allowed per game. Those numbers are skewed by a disastrous start, including giving up 70 points to Miami in Week Three. The defense has been playing much better recently.

Quarterback Russell Wilson has had a resurgence this year under the leadership of first-year Broncos’ head coach, Sean Payton. The 35-year-old is completing a larger percentage of his passes, throwing more touchdowns, and has cut down on his turnovers from last year.

Wilson has a couple of very talented wide receivers, Cortland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy. Jeudy, in particular, was the subject of many trade rumors coming to the Patriots this offseason. The Broncos also have Lil’ Jordan Humphrey who was a preseason star for New England a season ago. Humphrey has two touchdown receptions this year for Denver.

Prediction: Broncos 24. Patriots 14

In addition to the notable players listed earlier as being out for the Patriots, safety Jabrill Peppers has also already been ruled out. Peppers has emerged as a leader on defense.

Quarterback Bailey Zappe has been terrific in the first half of the last two games. He has been equally as bad in the second half of both games. He will be looking to put together a full sixty minutes against Denver. It is a better bet to say he is more likely to put together two bad halves.

To his credit, Belichick is not tanking. He is trying to win every game, no matter the impact on the Patriots’ future draft pick. Denver is playing for a playoff spot. These are two teams going in different directions..