Takeaways From the Patriots Loss to Denver

The loss allows this defense to grow and learn from mistakes they’ve made in a game that they lost, instead of looking at footage of a game they won and thinking what they did was good enough. I will give Osweiler the credit he deserves, but in some ways they had an easier road to victory.

The Broncos game would eventually go into over time, and C.J. Anderson scored on a 48 yard touchdown run. “Hopefully, it’s not too serious and our fingers are crossed”, Brady said.

“We will need to rely on him quite a bit”, Brady said.

“I think if you sit there and dwell on it, it might be overwhelming”, he said. He did not return, but was seen walking without crutches in the locker room after the game.

Oh, and the 10-1 Patriots won’t lose their second most indispensable player, behind quarterback Tom Brady, for a significant amount of time. Before leaving the game, Gronkowski led a depleted group of pass catchers with six receptions, 88 yards and a touchdown.

STANDINGS WATCH: This was the toughest test left on New England’s schedule.

The Patriots managed just 39 yards on 16 carries.

Osweiler finished with 270 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Stewart swept in low, trying to break up the pass that fell incomplete.

The biggest story of the game is probably the injury to Rob Gronkowski, who suffered a seemingly devastating knee injury late in the fourth quarter.

It still had plenty of panache. But after the Patriots held on the ensuing Broncos series, Chris Harper muffed the punt and set Denver up with short yardage, leading to Anderson’s first score. Anderson ran like a man possessed.

The Patriots’ remaining schedule is: vs. Philadelphia (4-7), at Houston (6-5), vs. Tennessee (2-9), at NY Jets (6-5) and at Miami (4-7).

Colts 25, Buccaneers 12: In Indianapolis, Matt Hasselbeck threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns, and Adam Vinatieri made four more field goals.

“It was a great drive”, Brady said.

Brady’s three touchdown tosses put him in a tie with Dan Marino for third on the career list.

Notes: Broncos RG Louis Vasquez left with a groin injury….

In the 2011 season, Gronkowski sprained his ankle on a tackle by Baltimore Ravens safety Bernard Pollard in the AFC Championship Game and the injury was one of the major stories in the run-up to the Super Bowl game against the New York Giants.