Tim Tebow and the Broncos were driving against the New England defense, but a sack and fumble gave the Patriots the ball, leading to Tom Brady's second touchdown throw of the night.
While the Pats had gotten solid penetration against Denver's offensive line, nearly taking Tebow down twice, but allowing the elusive quarterback to escape and make his way all the way to the New England 37 before they finally got to him. When they did, however, they did so emphatically, with Rob Ninkovich coming in from behind and swatting his outstretched arm, knocking the ball loose.
With Brandon Spikes pouncing on the fumble, the Patriots found themselves with decent field position and plenty of momentum. After a quick pass to Wes Welker, the Patriots went back to their tight ends, sticking with Aaron Hernandez coming out of the backfield for a run and a screen pass mixed with a couple of grabs from Rob Gronkowski to eat up the field in a hurry. Danny Woodhead added seven more yards to get Tom Brady to the ten, and that's where he and Gronkowski turned the magic on. A lob towards the corner from Brady looked to be too far for Gronkowski, but showing his remarkable athleticism, the big tight end laid out for it, making a diving catch which held up under review for the touchdown.
Up 14-0, the Patriots have given Denver all they can handle through the first 10 minutes of the game.