The 10 Most Impactful Plays of Week 15
5. Logan Ryan Does Denver
Win Probability Added: +14.29
NEP: +6.51
The New England Patriots perch atop the AFC -- par for the course at this point in the year -- but they’ve had an odd road to get to this point. With starting quarterback Tom Brady suspended to start the year, and then a cascade of injuries decimating their ranks, the Patriots by all rights shouldn’t still be as freakishly good as they are. Yet, here we go again: another season has gone by and they are the top of the dogpile. In Week 15, in fact, they beat the snot out of the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos -- par for the course -- and it all started with their defense.
First-year starting quarterback Trevor Siemian has performed admirably enough in the first epoch of the post-Manning era for Denver, but he was completely overmatched on this play.
Pats cornerback Logan Ryan was shadowing Denver wideout Emmanuel Sanders, who went in motion across the formation in the New England red zone. With some jamming off the line, Ryan put himself in a spot that should have been a complete deterrent to Siemian to even attempt the throw. Instead, Siemian forced the ball in, and Ryan took it back 46 yards on the pick.
