The Broncos have plenty to play for Sunday night on Christmas Eve. At 7-7, they need a win to stay alive in the AFC playoff race.
The Patriots? Not so much. At 3-11, their playoff hopes have long ago been dashed. But there's no shortage of fascinating subplots developing in New England, from the future of some of their "core" players to a potential top-two pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to, of course, the fate of longtime head coach Bill Belichick.
We'll touch on those subplots and more in our Storylines to Watch for Patriots-Broncos:
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How does Bill Belichick manage the game?
Last week against the Chiefs, Bill Belichick acknowledged his end-of-game management wasnât ideal. There was no great excuse as to why his team let the clock melt late despite facing a double-digit deficit.
His excuse for not being more aggressive at other points in the fourth quarter â punting twice down 17 points â was because he didnât feel great about the health of his offense and its ability to convert and stay on the field.
How will he handle things this week if facing a similar situation? Will he pull out all the stops and go after a late-season win? Or will he go conservative in an effort to keep the score manageable?
The Patriots have lost seven one-score games this season, which might help anyone looking to make an argument that if the Patriots hadnât experienced as many injuries as they did, if just a few plays had gone a little differently, they couldâve been sniffing a playoff.
Would Belichick make that kind of argument to his bosses after the season in an effort to state his case as to why he should be retained?
Can Bailey Zappe put a full game together?
The numbers are staggering. In the second halves of his last two games, Zappe hasnât been able to break 90 yards passing⊠combined. His quarterback rating in the second half of the last two games is just 10.7.
If heâs going to buck that trend, heâs going to have to do so against a defense that ranks second in third-down percentage allowed and sits in the top five of the NFL when it comes to generating turnovers.
The Broncos are also a blitz-happy defense, and they should continue to show pressure with Cole Strange out and rookie Atonio Mafi filling in. The Broncos rank 10th in the NFL in blitz rate, per Pro Football Reference.
And if that keeps up, watch out. Out of 42 qualifiers, Zappe ranks 32nd in quarterback rating when pressured this season, per Pro Football Focus.
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Who shows out in a scheduled snooze-fest?
Itâs been a challenge for the Patriots to stay motivated in the middle of a lost season. But Sunday might be their biggest test on that front.
Theyâre out of playoff contention. Theyâre banged-up, and a couple of their highest-effort players may not be able to go because of injury (Hunter Henry, Jabrill Peppers). Theyâre on the road, at altitude, on Christmas Eve.
Anyone who shows up in this game â the way Christian Barmore has the last couple of months, for example â is worthy of some praise. And maybe, depending on who it is, theyâll be worthy of consideration to be part of the rebuild next year.
Can David Andrews keep his streak alive?
While the Patriots have been ailing along the offensive line since training camp, the one constant has been 2023 iron man David Andrews.
He hasnât missed a snap this season, serving as a leader by example on a moment-to-moment basis. No easy task given the offenseâs struggles, the fluid quarterback situation, and the fact that Andrews has often had a pair of rookies at his side at the guard spots.
Belichick recognized the captainâs work as a leader in his Friday press conference.
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âFantastic. Fantastic,â Belichick said. âHe's been, I mean, itâs been as good as I've seen, honestly. Every day, his performance on a daily basis is really exceptional. Attitude, effort, communication, energy, leadership of the younger players, leadership of his peers, communication, you name it.
"Look, like everybody who plays a lot of football, you get banged up, you're going to deal with some stuff during the year. He's shown a lot of physical toughness to play through that, a lot of mental toughness. He would never come out of practice for a play. We have to take him out to help manage some of the bumps and bruises that he has.
"But this guy is a warrior.â
Does seeing Russell Wilson serve as a cautionary tale for Krafts?
Weâll eventually find out where the Patriots end up in the 2024 draft order, but if there was any doubt as to whether or not the Krafts should be interested in taking one of the top two quarterbacks in the class â theyâre currently slated to pick second â the Broncos may serve as a cautionary tale.
Since Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl in Denver in 2015, here are the Broncos quarterbacks who have started games: Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, Drew Lock, Brandon Allen, Jeff Driskel, Teddy Bridgewater, Brett Rypien and Russell Wilson. No coincidence the Broncos havenât won a playoff game since Manning hoisted the Lombardi Trophy eight years ago.
Think they wouldâve liked the opportunity to take a franchise-caliber quarterback highly in the draft? They did. Two years after taking Lynch at No. 26 overall, Denver took Bradley Chubb at No. 5 overall in 2018. With Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson still on the board.