This season has not been easy for Chad Ryland. 

The Patriots rookie kicker has missed some crucial kicks throughout the season, and it seemed things weren't going to get any better in Denver. 

Earlier in the game, Ryland missed a 47-yard field goal and then wasn't able to knock home an extra point. 

So when the team was forced to turn to him in the final seconds of the game with the possibility to win on the line, nobody knew what was going to happen. 

But Ryland remained confident in himself, and sent the 56-yard field goal straight down the middle. 

"Often times, you find the greatest treasure in the darkest caves," Ryland said when speaking with the media after the game. "And I've obviously been struggling a little bit this year, and I was really, really fortunate to be surrounded by a team that believes in me. And that helps me to continue to move forward with my process and then knock the last one down."

So far this season, Ryland has made 14 field goals from 22 attempts. This was also his first missed extra point of his career. 

Bill Belichick was asked about Ryland's final play, but his answer didn't give much away. 

"Big kick," the head coach said. "He's hung in there."

On the other hand, Bailey Zappe was very complimentary of the Patriots kicker. 

"He made a hell of a kick," Zappe said. "I mean, that was unbelievable."

For Ryland, who took a moment at the beginning of his press conference to talk about how important Christmas is to him, this was the best present he could ever ask for. 

"It's fun to win," Ryland said. "I'm glad we could contribute to that as a special teams unit tonight."

Some funny observations from the Patriots’ win over Broncos

This made me smile.