Tom Brady and the New England Patriots had a chance to bury the Denver Broncos early in their 2012 NFL playoffs opener on Saturday night. But an uncharacteristic Brady interception removed the Broncos' head from the chopping block.

Brady tried to find Rob Gronkowski over the middle, but the ball sailed on him and landed in Quinton Carter's hands. Carter made a game effort of returning it, too, before he ran into Aaron Hernandez' shoulder.

That interception would lead to Denver's first touchdown of the night, as the Broncos kept their offense on the ground to score. But Brady will probably have more than a few chances to atone for his mistake as the night wears on.

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