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Another special teams miscue stakes Patriots to early lead

Patriots Broncos Footall

New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis (33) runs back a kick-off for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

AP

Last week it was their defense.

This week, the Broncos special teams are the unit that’s not helping.

After giving the Patriots easy field position with a muffed punt, the Broncos made them run farther the second time.

Patriots running back Dion Lewis took a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead, getting a shove in the back which propelled him upfield rather than out of bounds along the way.

Given the current state of their offense, that’s the kind of margin they can’t afford at the moment, as they try to snap a four-game losing streak.

The Broncos answered with another field goal to cut it to 14-6, but can’t keep this kind of pace up for long.