Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots: 2014 Week 9 Recap

Game story

In Week 9 of the 2014 NFL season on 2014-11-02, the New England Patriots took care of business against the Denver Broncos, pulling away with a 43–21 final that controlled the game from start to finish.

The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 24 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.

P. Manning (Denver Broncos) paced the passing game, with -0.87 total EPA, and -1.2% completion percentage over expected.

On the individual side, T. Brady (New England Patriots) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +11.64 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.

The momentum swing (-20.7% win probability) landed in the second quarter when Denver Broncos changed the game: (13:42) (Shotgun) 18-P.Manning pass short middle intended for 88-D.Thomas INTERCEPTED by 50-R.Ninkovich at DEN 45. 50-R.Ninkovich to DEN 34 for 11 yards (10-E.Sanders). DEN-10-E.Sanders was injured du

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.

1. 1 T. Brady · New England Patriots · Passing · +11.64 total EPA · 59 snaps · +0.20 EPA/play
2. 2 R. Gronkowski · New England Patriots · Receiving · +8.61 total EPA · 10 snaps · +0.86 EPA/play
3. 3 J. Thomas · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +5.01 total EPA · 2 snaps · +2.51 EPA/play
4. 4 S. Vereen · New England Patriots · Receiving · +3.75 total EPA · 10 snaps · +0.38 EPA/play
5. 5 J. Edelman · New England Patriots · Receiving · +3.57 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.32 EPA/play
6. 6 D. Thomas · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +3.13 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.28 EPA/play
7. 7 C. Anderson · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +1.90 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.48 EPA/play
8. 8 D. Amendola · New England Patriots · Receiving · +1.51 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.50 EPA/play

Player of the game

FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

• Denver Broncos — R. Hillman (Q1 48:58)
• New England Patriots — J. Edelman (T. Brady pass) (Q2 41:45)
• New England Patriots — J. Edelman (Q2 38:33)
• New England Patriots — S. Vereen (T. Brady pass) (Q2 30:11)
• Denver Broncos — J. Thomas (P. Manning pass) (Q3 26:11)
• New England Patriots — B. LaFell (T. Brady pass) (Q3 22:31)
• Denver Broncos — R. Hillman (P. Manning pass) (Q3 20:56)
• New England Patriots — R. Gronkowski (T. Brady pass) (Q4 14:00)

Field goals

• New England Patriots — S. Gostkowski (Q1 52:15)
• New England Patriots — S. Gostkowski (Q2 44:23)
• New England Patriots — S. Gostkowski (Q3 22:51)

How it unfolded, quarter by quarter

A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.

The opening quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 7–3. New England Patriots connected on a field goal from the DEN 31 (Q1 52:15) — (7:15) 3-S.Gostkowski 49 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the NE 1 (Q1 48:58) — (3:58) 64-W.Montgomery and 75-C.Clark reported in as eligible. 23-R.Hillman left end for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the NE 2 (Q1 48:54) — 8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt..

The second quarter: New England Patriots won the period 24–0. New England Patriots connected on a field goal from the DEN 11 (Q2 44:23) — (14:23) 3-S.Gostkowski 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.; New England Patriots found the end zone from the DEN 5 (Q2 41:45) — (11:45) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 11-J.Edelman for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New England Patriots added 1 points from the DEN 2 (Q2 41:41) — 3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.; New England Patriots found the end zone from the NE 69 (Q2 38:33); New England Patriots added 1 points from the DEN 2 (Q2 38:11) — 3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.; New England Patriots found the end zone from the DEN 5 (Q2 30:11) — (:11) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 34-S.Vereen for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New England Patriots added 1 points from the DEN 2 (Q2 30:08) — 3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen..

The third quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 14–10. Denver Broncos found the end zone from the NE 18 (Q3 26:11); Denver Broncos added 1 points from the NE 2 (Q3 26:06) — 8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.; New England Patriots connected on a field goal from the DEN 27 (Q3 22:51) — (7:51) 3-S.Gostkowski 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.; New England Patriots found the end zone from the DEN 10 (Q3 22:31) — (7:31) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 19-B.LaFell for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New England Patriots added 1 points from the DEN 2 (Q3 22:27) — 3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the NE 15 (Q3 20:56) — (5:56) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 18-P.Manning pass short left to 23-R.Hillman for 15 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the NE 2 (Q3 20:50) — 8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt..

The fourth quarter: New England Patriots won the period 6–0. New England Patriots found the end zone from the DEN 1 (Q4 14:00).

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.

• Denver Broncos (Q2 43:42) — (13:42) (Shotgun) 18-P.Manning pass short middle intended for 88-D.Thomas INTERCEPTED by 50-R.Ninkovich at DEN 45. 50-R.Ninkovich to DEN 34 for 11 yards (10-E.Sanders). DEN-10-E.Sanders was injured du [WPA -20.7% · EPA -5.07]
• Denver Broncos (Q1 49:03) — (4:03) (Shotgun) 18-P.Manning pass incomplete short middle to 88-D.Thomas (39-B.Browner). PENALTY on NE-39-B.Browner, Defensive Pass Interference, 12 yards, enforced at NE 13 - No Play. [WPA +8.9% · EPA +2.57]
• Denver Broncos (Q2 38:33) — (8:33) (Punt formation) 4-B.Colquitt FUMBLES (Aborted) at DEN 19, and recovers at DEN 19. 4-B.Colquitt punts 53 yards to NE 16. 11-J.Edelman for 84 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Penalty on DEN, Ineligible Downfie [WPA -7.2% · EPA -5.84]
• Denver Broncos (Q1 50:43) — (5:43) (Shotgun) 18-P.Manning pass deep left to 10-E.Sanders to NE 31 for 21 yards (24-D.Revis). [WPA +6.9% · EPA +1.78]
• New England Patriots (Q1 46:15) — (1:15) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short right to 87-R.Gronkowski to DEN 17 for 11 yards (36-K.Webster) [58-V.Miller]. [WPA +5.6% · EPA +1.65]

Impact plays

Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.

• Denver Broncos (Q2 38:33) — (8:33) (Punt formation) 4-B.Colquitt FUMBLES (Aborted) at DEN 19, and recovers at DEN 19. 4-B.Colquitt punts 53 yards to NE 16. 11-J.Edelman for 84 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Penalty on DEN, Ineligible Downfie [WPA -7.2% · EPA -5.84]
• Denver Broncos (Q3 22:46) — (7:46) (Shotgun) 18-P.Manning pass deep right intended for 83-W.Welker INTERCEPTED by 39-B.Browner at DEN 40. 39-B.Browner to DEN 10 for 30 yards (80-J.Thomas). DEN-83-W.Welker was injured during the [WPA -2.5% · EPA -5.48]
• Denver Broncos (Q2 43:42) — (13:42) (Shotgun) 18-P.Manning pass short middle intended for 88-D.Thomas INTERCEPTED by 50-R.Ninkovich at DEN 45. 50-R.Ninkovich to DEN 34 for 11 yards (10-E.Sanders). DEN-10-E.Sanders was injured du [WPA -20.7% · EPA -5.07]
• New England Patriots (Q2 30:11) — (:11) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 34-S.Vereen for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +1.9% · EPA +3.61]

Quarterback report card

P.Manning led all passers in efficiency for Denver Broncos, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

• P.Manning (Denver Broncos) · 63 dropbacks · 54.0% completion · -1.2% CPOE · -0.01 EPA/play · -0.87 total EPA
• T.Brady (New England Patriots) · 59 dropbacks · 55.9% completion · +4.2% CPOE · +0.20 EPA/play · +11.64 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.

By the numbers

New England Patriots held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (+0.06 vs -0.16), even if the scoreboard told a different story.

• Denver Broncos: 15 drives, -16.05 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
• New England Patriots: 14 drives, +5.72 total EPA, 7 scoring drives

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.

• New England Patriots leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
• T. Brady (New England Patriots) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
• T. Brady (NE) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.

Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.

1. New England Patriots FG (+3) — Q1 52:15 · DEN 31 · Score 0-3
   (7:15) 3-S.Gostkowski 49 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.
2. Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q1 48:58 · NE 1 · Score 6-3
   (3:58) 64-W.Montgomery and 75-C.Clark reported in as eligible. 23-R.Hillman left end for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
3. Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q1 48:54 · NE 2 · Score 7-3
   8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.
4. New England Patriots FG (+3) — Q2 44:23 · DEN 11 · Score 7-6
   (14:23) 3-S.Gostkowski 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.
5. New England Patriots TD (+6) — Q2 41:45 · DEN 5 · Score 7-12
   (11:45) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 11-J.Edelman for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
6. New England Patriots XP (+1) — Q2 41:41 · DEN 2 · Score 7-13
   3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.
7. New England Patriots TD (+6) — Q2 38:33 · NE 69 · Score 7-19
   (8:33) (Punt formation) 4-B.Colquitt FUMBLES (Aborted) at DEN 19, and recovers at DEN 19. 4-B.Colquitt punts 53 yards to NE 16. 11-J.Edelman for 84 yards, TOUCH
8. New England Patriots XP (+1) — Q2 38:11 · DEN 2 · Score 7-20
   3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.
9. New England Patriots TD (+6) — Q2 30:11 · DEN 5 · Score 7-26
   (:11) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 34-S.Vereen for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
10. New England Patriots XP (+1) — Q2 30:08 · DEN 2 · Score 7-27
    3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.
11. Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q3 26:11 · NE 18 · Score 13-27
    (11:11) (Shotgun) 18-P.Manning pass deep right to 80-J.Thomas for 18 yards, TOUCHDOWN. DEN 18-Manning 47th straight game with a TD pass, tying Johnny Unitas for
12. Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q3 26:06 · NE 2 · Score 14-27
    8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.
13. New England Patriots FG (+3) — Q3 22:51 · DEN 27 · Score 14-30
    (7:51) 3-S.Gostkowski 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.
14. New England Patriots TD (+6) — Q3 22:31 · DEN 10 · Score 14-36
    (7:31) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 19-B.LaFell for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
15. New England Patriots XP (+1) — Q3 22:27 · DEN 2 · Score 14-37
    3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Aiken, Holder-6-R.Allen.
16. Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q3 20:56 · NE 15 · Score 20-37
    (5:56) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 18-P.Manning pass short left to 23-R.Hillman for 15 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
17. Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q3 20:50 · NE 2 · Score 21-37
    8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-A.Brewer, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.
18. New England Patriots TD (+6) — Q4 14:00 · DEN 1 · Score 21-43
    (14:00) 12-T.Brady pass short left to 87-R.Gronkowski for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. NE 12-Brady 22nd career game with 4+ TD passes, passing Dan Marino for 4th most all