It failed to become another classic, but the Patriots 2014 regular season matchup with the Denver Broncos was nonetheless a joyous occasion for New England fans, as Bill Belichick’s team operated like a well-oiled machine, winning 43-21. Where the playoff matchup last season was a little more defensive and saw more clock-killing drives, the latest meeting was filled with Patriots-Broncos highlights. Tom Brady and a plethora of Patriots pass catchers had big games, and Belichick’s defense found a way to create turnovers and pressure against Manning, which proved the difference.

The first quarter was probably the highlight of Denver’s afternoon, as they put together an impressive drive (throwing successfully at Darrelle Revis on three occasions) before Ronnie Hillman found the end zone to make it 7-0. Missed opportunities were the story of New England’s first few drives, though they were clearly having more success against Denver’s coverage than the 2013 AFC Championship game. In the second quarter, they exploded. Scoring 24 unanswered points, and getting an interception of Peyton Manning, New England put themselves into the lead for good.

The key difference between the 2013 regular season meeting of the two AFC rivals was that the team who began the game strong did not falter in the second half. Brady, helped by Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelan, and several other offensive weapons, kept the momentum going, spurring the potentially crucial win (which could potentially have large home-field implications in the playoffs). Here are all of the major Patriots-Broncos highlights:

After being the player who blew out Rob Gronkowski’s ACL last season, Denver’s T.J. Ward went right after it again:

Rob Ninkovich setup the Patriots offense’s first touchdown, intercepting Manning on this stealthy bit of coverage:

And the result of the turnover was Edelman’s first touchdown of the day:

The versatile Edelman wasn’t done, however, taking a nearly-botched punt back:

Shane Vereen’s touchdown made it 27-7 at the half:

Julius Thomas hauled in his first reception of the day in the second half, but it went for a score to cut the deficit to 27-14:

Still, the Patriots kept their cool, and even converted on a 4th down, slowly killing the clock:

Former Patriots receiver Wes Welker failed to hold onto the ball, leading to a crunching hit and a Brandon Browner interception:

Here’s the Welker hit in slow-motion, and Browner’s timely pick:

Brady and Brandon LaFell wasted no time making Denver pay for the turnover, and lengthened their lead:

Gronkowski’s catch to the one-yard line was insane, but he was ruled to be down short of the end zone:

So the Patriots just went right back to him on the next play, making it 43-21 in the fourth quarter:

Even though they’re rivals, Rob Gronkowski and Aqib Talib (former teammates) share a mutual respect:

This was one of the most notable moments of the fourth quarter, when the Patriots tried to catch the Broncos off-guard with a quick change on 4th and 1. Denver was ready, and a penalty negated the whole thing anyway. Still, not something you see everyday:

Via Keith Allison, Creative Commons