In a game that was as much about surviving the elements as it was about outplaying the opponent, the Denver Broncos saw their Super Bowl hopes slip-literally-through the snow-covered turf at Mile High. A pair of missed field goals by Wil Lutz, including a critical fourth-quarter attempt that was blocked, loomed large in a 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots.
Let’s zoom in on the moment that may haunt Denver fans for a while. With just under five minutes left on the clock and the Broncos trailing by three, head coach Sean Payton opted for a 45-yard field goal attempt on fourth-and-5 from the Patriots’ 28-yard line.
Given the swirling snow and slippery conditions, it wasn’t a gimme-but it was within Lutz’s range. The snap came, the kick went up... and Leonard Taylor of the Patriots got just enough of it to tip the ball and keep it from reaching the uprights.
That block wasn’t just a product of great timing by Taylor-it may have been aided by a subtle, costly miscue in the Broncos’ operation. According to Lutz, the snowy field made it nearly impossible to see the yard lines, forcing holder Jeremy Crawshaw to estimate his spot.
And that estimate? Off by a yard.
“Unfortunately, you couldn't see the lines on the field,” Lutz said after the game. “Honestly, I think we were... we might have been a yard short on the snap. Can’t see the lines, had to estimate, and a guy comes through, and it was blocked.”
That one-yard difference matters more than most fans might realize. In the NFL, the standard distance between the line of scrimmage and the holder is eight yards.
Crawshaw, it turns out, was only seven yards back. That tighter angle gave Taylor just enough reach to get a hand on the ball.
Even a fingertip was enough to change the trajectory-and potentially the outcome of the game.
And that wasn’t Lutz’s only miss. Earlier in the game, before the weather really took hold, he missed a 54-yard attempt.
On a day when both kickers struggled-New England’s Andy Borregales also missed two-the kicking game proved to be the ultimate equalizer. The four combined misses marked the most in a conference championship since 1983, when the 49ers and Washington combined to miss six in the NFC title game.
Lutz had been steady for Denver throughout the season, connecting on 28 of 32 field goal attempts. But the postseason has historically been a different story for him. After Sunday’s game, his career playoff field goal percentage sits at 68.2% (15 of 22)-a notable dip from his regular season consistency.
The game itself was a grind, especially in the second half. Neither offense found much rhythm, and it felt like one big play-or one big mistake-would swing the outcome. That mistake ended up being the blocked field goal, and it sent New England to its 12th Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
Had Lutz’s kick cleared Taylor’s fingertips and tied the game, we might’ve been headed for overtime. And given the snow and cold, every snap, every kick, every yard would have been a test of focus and footing. Instead, the Patriots made the play when it mattered most, and the Broncos were left to wonder what might have been-just one yard away from a different ending.