Broncos, Patriots Tied 7-7 At Halftime

The Broncos defense controlled the first 30 minutes of play against the Patriots, but the team doesn't have a lead to show for it.

Denver took over near midfield after forcing the fifth Patriots punt of the first half with under a minute to play in the second quarter and picked up 17 yards on a pair of Jarrett Stidham passes to set up a 54-yard Wil Lutz field goal attempt. Lutz missed the kick wide to the right, however, and there was enough time left for the Patriots to position themselves for a 63-yard field goal attempt with one second left before halftime.

Andy Borregales's kick didn't come close and the score remains 7-7 at the break as a result.

New England punted on their first four possessions, but the fifth started on the Denver 12-yard line and the Patriots turned the short field into their only points of the game. Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham fumbled while trying to throw a ball away and Patriots quarterback Drake Maye ran for a six-yard score two plays later.

Stidham's fumble came one possession after the Broncos faced a fourth-and-1 on the Patriots' 14-yard line. Broncos head coach Sean Payton passed on the chance to go up two scores and Stidham was pressured into an incompletion that ended the drive without points of any kind.

The Patriots will get the ball to start the second half. After picking up 72 yards and four first downs in the first half, they'll need to come up with a better plan of attack to take the lead on the road.