On the previous drive, the Patriots had been forced to punt when Deion Branch dropped Tom Brady's deep ball on third down. This time, there was no drop. A beautiful pass past close coverage fell right into the waiting arms of Deion Branch 26 yards from the line of scrimmage. Accelerating away from the corner, Branch covered the 35 remaining yards in a hurry, making his way into the end zone for a 61-yard touchdown pass and a 28-7 lead.
The touchdown was the fourth of the half both for the Patriots and Tom Brady, and once again made possible by a strong series from the defense. After Willis McGahee and Eddie Royal had picked up a pair of first downs to start the drive, the defensive line once again got to Tim Tebow in the backfield. A sack from Vince Wilfork pushed the Broncos back four yards, and another from Gerrard Warren made it 3rd-and-20 for the Broncos.
The Patriots now have about a minute left to pile it on at the end of the half after another Denver punt. More than enough for Tom Brady on most nights.