It hasn’t been a great day for the Patriots on offense, but they’re still alive in the fourth quarter after quarterback Cam Newton notched another milestone.
Newton went over 5,000 career rushing yards with a 38-yard run in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Broncos. That gave the Patriots the ball inside the Denver 10-yard-line and Newton plunged in from a yard out three plays later.
A two-point attempt didn’t work out, however, and the Patriots trail 18-9. The decision to go for two at that point will likely be fodder for questions at Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s postgame press conference, but he knows now he needs two scores rather than with little time left on the clock.
The rushing mark is a highlight on an otherwise sluggish day for Newton. He’s been intercepted twice and had not gotten much going on the ground until the scoring drive.
That sluggishness has been shared by most of the Patriots, although their third down defense has been strong enough to force the Broncos to settle for six Brandon McManus field goals. That’s kept the door open and the defense will need to stay strong for the Patriots to get through it.