Duds No. 1 – Michael Schofield & Matt Paradis
It’s tough to beat up on Michael Schofield and Matt Paradis too much in this game; after all, the Broncos rushed for a season-high 179 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Indeed, in a game that saw Tom Brady and Brock Osweiler complete an equal number of passes (23) on the same number of attempts (42) and be separated by just 10 yards passing (270 to 280), it was the running game that proved to be the difference in the game.
The Broncos offensive line sprung C.J. Anderson for 100 yards and two scores alone, while Denver’s defense held New England to just 39 yards on 16 attempts on the day. But the heavy lifting by the o-line against the Patriots came mostly from Max Garcia, Ryan Harris, Evan Mathis and the tight ends.
Schofield and Paradis both struggled in pass protection and weren’t much better against the run. They were also responsible for a pair of big hits on Osweiler as well as nine combined hurries, per Pro Football Focus.
The biggest mistake of the game for Denver came from Schofield, who allowed Jabaal Sheard to get a hand on Osweiler’s arm and force the game’s first turnover – an interception that led to a Patriots touchdown on a short field.
