Four studs and two duds from the Patriots 26-23 Christmas Eve victory

Who would’ve thought the injury-depleted Patriots would march into Denver and come away with a thrilling victory?

It wasn’t smooth for Bailey Zappe and the Patriots, who trailed the Broncos at halftime 7-3. But things took a turn, in the third quarter, when the Patriots scored 20 unanswered points, including a special teams score.

The Patriots defense limited Russell Wilson to 237 yards through the air as he completed 25 of 37 passes and recorded two touchdowns. The run defense was also strong, only allowing 3.6 yards per attempt. In total the Broncos combined for 23 carries, running for 83 yards and scoring one touchdown.

Here are four studs and two duds from the Patriot’s Christmas Eve victory.

DT Christian Barmore

Christian Barmore deserves everything coming his way this offseason. Throughout the season, especially in the last couple of weeks, Barmore has been one of the Patriot’s strongest players. The 2021 draft pick continued his hot streak against the Broncos, where he racked up three stacks and four QB hits and drew a crucial hold in the fourth quarter. Even in the run game, the former Alabama alum was shining, totaling two tackles for loss. Although Barmore has a long shot at making the Pro Bowl, he has established himself as one of the best interior tackles in football. Barmore is eligible for an extension at the end of the season, and the Patriots would be wise to show him the money.

QB Bailey Zappe

Zappe’s fourth start of 2023 didn’t start the way he wanted. On the game’s first play, the Broncos forced a fumble, giving them a prime field position to score. But, instead of wavering in the second half like he’s been prone to in the past, the former fourth-rounder balled out in the third quarter. Zappe threw two touchdowns in the third quarter, and under his command, it was trending toward an upset. That until – the fourth quarter came, and the whole offense ran into a wall. Regardless, when it mattered most, the sophomore quarterback put together a game-winning drive that included a 27-yard completion to DeVante Parker to put the Patriots in field goal position. Zappe finished his night with 25 of 33 for 256 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.

K Chad Ryland

It’s hard to find yourself on the “stud” list after continuously being listed as a “dud” for the the last three games. But the Patriots kicker finds himself in a unique position. For 58 minutes in Sunday’s night contest – Ryland was starring in his own Christmas Nightmare movie. He badly missed a 47-yarder and then proceeded to shank an extra point. Nevertheless, the rookie kicker responded and drilled a 56-yard field goal, which won the game for the Patriots. The rookie kicker was drafted out of Maryland in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. Bill Belichick liked the kicker so much that he traded up in the draft to select Ryland. The kicker knew it was good as soon as the ball was in the air, pumping his fist in the air and celebrating.

“I knew when I hit it, [was going in]” Ryland told reporters after the game.

WR Demario Douglas

Finding himself on the “stud” list for yet another week is receiver Demario Douglas. The wideout finished with five catches for 74 yards. One of the highlights of the night came when Douglas hauled in a 41-yard catch that kick-started the third quarter. The rookie finished 10 yards short of his season-high and is quickly turning into one of the few playmakers on the offense. Demario Douglas is up to 44 catches on the year, passing Deion Branch (43 catches in 2002), which is the most receptions by a Patriots rookie receiver in a single season under Bill Belichick. In addition, Douglas (517 yards) will pass Aaron Dobson (519 yards in 2013) for the most receiving yards by a Patriots rookie during the Belichick era.

Duds

LG James Fernentz

My first question is, why are you playing veterans in Week 16 of a lost season? Shouldn’t this be the time for young players to step in and show what they’ve got? Bill Belichick did the opposite and started seven-year veteran James Ferentz at left guard. All you need to know is he was benched on the game’s second drive. The benching came after a rusher bulldozed the veteran to strip-sack Zappe on the game’s first play. You have to cut some slack to Ferentz as he hasn’t played on the starting line all season, but as Belichick likes to say – everyone always has to be ready for their number to be called.

Special teams

Look, sure, Chad Ryland made the game-winning field goal, which sealed the game for the Patriots, but what about his other missed kicks? Along with him missing a critical field goal and an extra point, the Patriots’ special teams unit wasn’t perfect by any means on Sunday. They allowed Marvin Mims to find a hole and return a punt for 52 yards. TO their credit, they forced a fumble on a Broncos kick return, which Cody Davis picked up and scored for the touchdown. So, was it their best performance – Definitely not, but with all things considered, they need to play better.