Image source, Getty Images

New England badly needed a spark, and it always looked likely to come from the defence, which has been stellar in this play-off run so far.

Jarrett Stidham finally showed some signs of weakness as he ran backwards with no place to go - quarterbacks really need to find an exit strategy there which involves just throwing it away or even taking a sack.

You just can't turn it over in your own red zone.

Ndamukong Suh
Former NFL defensive tackle and 2021 Super Bowl winner on Sky Sports

In that situation with Jarrett Stidham, just take the sack. It would have been fourth down anyway, so just take the punt and work back from there.

Tony Romo
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback on CBS

This feels a little different to Peyton Manning against Tom Brady back in the day, but it does feel like those games where it's low scoring.

Whoever had home-field advantage won, but it also felt like anybody who gets to 20 points wins. This game is being played like that. Each play is so huge and a turnover can be catastrophic.

Wow! The refs first call it intentional grounding by Jarrett Stidham, then reverse it because the ball went backwards so New England have the turnover - but not the touchdown!

And that's because they whistled the play dead on the field! Mike Vrabel is fuming on the sidelines and rightly so, that's a massive mistake by the refs.

The Patriots have six yards to go to score in any case...

Has Jarret Stidham fumbled that? If so this could be a touchdown for New England...

RJ Harvey with another decent muscular run, he's moved the ball pretty well actually so far with Denver at least having some sort of a run game - New England have nothing so far on the ground.

Tony Romo
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback on CBS

Denver put all these guys up and rushed with four. That speeds up Drake Maye's internal clock.

That's a young player dealing with the pressure, still early in the ball game. That's his third sack already, and that was the concern coming in.

A third sack on Drake Maye, Zach Allen this time gets him down on the ground after he tried to step up in the pocket and escape the pressure.

It was just a four-man rush and Maye probably had more time that he thought but he's definately not comfortable back there and just hit the panic button a touch too soon.

Mack Hollins, who's just returned from injury, gathers what is a huge third-down conversion to move the chains.

Drake Maye had just a glimmer of time there from this smothering pass rush and he delivered a strike to Hollins for 20 yards and some breathing space.

Greg Brady
NFL pundit on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

I was thinking hand that off to RJ Harvey - a big 200 pound running back and let him plunge forward.

You do not want to leave points on the board. I think if it's 50+ yards out it's a no brainer but you are sitting there and have got an automatic three points.

That is the first thing in a long time that has happened for the Patriots that may electric their sideline. A big stop.

Nope! The momentum is still with Denver and their pass rush, as New England just can't slow these guys down as they drop Drake Maye again with a collective effort.

Will those three points lost come back to haunt Denver? You never know, this looks like being a real defensive scrap so going up by 10 would've been huge.

Now you've handed a bit of momentum to a Patriots team looking a bit on the ropes before now. It could be a mood changers at Mile High.

Denver could've kicked the field goal but Sean Payton isn't built like that, so they run a play.

Sadly for Denver, the Pats play it perfectly, jamming up the middle and then getting pressure on Jarrett Stidham who has to retreat and toss a hopefully pass forward, but it lands short and New England take over.

Just a couple of yards on a Jarrett Stidham scramble - but he then takes off down the right and almost gets the first down. He's just a yard short and Sean Payton will go for this on fourth down, surely it'll just be a jumbo package and run for it...

Lil'Jordan Humphrey takes a nice catch on the run from a sweet timing route through from Jarrett Stidham for a first down.

A reminder that a lot of these completions are against Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis - two shutdown corners back who's been electric in the play-offs so far.

Image source, Getty Images

We end the first quarter with Jarrett Stidham hitting Evan Engram for a first down.

What a first 15 minutes for Stidham, who had a bit of a nervy start but has been strutting around the field since then completing four of eight passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.

Denver's defence has smothered Drake Maye, who has been a lot better in the second half than the first in the play-offs, but that could be a lot tougher to do here at altitude in Denver.

Fascinating start.

Greg Brady
NFL pundit on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

We are heading towards the end of the first quarter and Drake Maye has only hit one receiver.

When you are a tight end, wide receiver or running back and haven't touched the ball - you don't feel like you have the balance of the game.

Drake Maye wheels out to the right but rookie Que Robinson chases him down for a sack and loss of nine yards.

Maye then throws a bit of a wobbly duck on a short checkdown pass, which is dropped anyway, and New England have to punt again.

Tough start for Maye who is clearly rattled - looking a lot more nervous than Jarrett Stidham. We should remember here that Maye's only in his second season and is still only 23.