It felt like the moment got a little too heavy for the Denver Broncos and quarterback Jarrett Stidham when it mattered most. With the AFC title game on the line, they slipped, and the Patriots dragged the game into the snow and walked out on top. And afterward, Sean Payton did not dodge the truth, pointing straight at one costly mistake that shifted everything.
“That was a big play,” Payton said while addressing Stidham’s fumble, making it clear where the game turned.
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Still, the message was not all fire, as right after, Payton added, “I thought he fought hard. Tough conditions.”
The damage started with Stidham’s first major error of the afternoon. Under heavy heat from Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss, he tried to dump the ball away. Instead, the throw drifted backward. Suddenly, Elijah Ponder scooped it up and took off. Although he crossed the goal line, a whistle stopped the return before the score could count. Still, the damage was already done.
Initially, officials flagged the play as intentional grounding. However, after a quick huddle and a replay review, everything flipped. The ball was not a forward pass. As a result, the call changed, and the Patriots kept the ball deep in Broncos territory, swinging momentum fast.
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From there, the Pats did not hesitate. Taking over at the Broncos’ 12-yard line, they moved with purpose. After a short grab by Kayshon Boutte, Drake Maye finished it himself with a six-yard run. Just like that, the score sat at 7-7 with 2:10 left before halftime.
In a game this tight, that single sequence changed the game.
This is a developing story…
The post Sean Payton’s Stern Statement on Jarrett Stidham’s Mistake After Assigning Blame for Broncos’ Loss appeared first on EssentiallySports.