Wil Lutz, Andy Borregales’ missed kicks highlight ugliness in first half of Broncos-Patriots AFC Championship game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Click here to add Sports News as your go-to source.
The AFC Championship Game is never expected to be the most exciting game on offense, but the special teams also suffered an early setback in Sunday’s game.
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Both kickers missed a potential go-ahead field goal in the final minute of the first half, with Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz missing a 54-yard attempt and New England Patriots kicker Andy Borregales missing a 63-yard attempt after some heroics from Drake Maye.
Lutz and Borregales both put up impressive numbers in the regular season, but at the end of the day, a lack of 3-pointers could bother either team.
Let’s take a look at how the first half of Sunday’s AFC Champions League game ended.
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Will Lutz misses shot
The Broncos started their final drive of the first half near midfield and felt strong about their ability to chase the score before halftime, but Jarrett Stidham’s sack turned veteran Lutz’s 52-yard field goal into a 54-yard field goal.
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With the breeze blowing, Lutz’s kick went to the right, a rare miss for the former New Orleans Saints kicker.
The missed field goal tied the game at seven and even gave the Patriots some time to work their magic before halftime.
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Andy Borregales misses shot
The Patriots set themselves up for a Hail Mary field goal when Drake Maye ran 16 yards and slid in time for another play, but that still left Borregales facing an uphill climb to give New England the lead.
Borregales, who had a career-long 59 yards in his only NFL season, attempted a punt from 63 yards out in the wind but didn’t get particularly close, making Meyer’s run irrelevant and tying the game at seven.
The Patriots didn’t seem too disappointed with Borregales’ miss, as 63 yards was a big ask for the rookie even after a promising season, but both punts highlighted both teams’ difficulty scoring in the first half.
