New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has insisted that his side still have full faith in running back Stevan Ridley despite his fumble against the Denver Broncos.

Ridley lost the ball for the fourth time this season and for the third time in as many weeks, as he was hit by Wesley Woodyard and allowed it to slip through his grasp and Von Miller returned it for the touchdown.

The 24-year-old was not seen again despite the Patriots coming back from a 24-point deficit at half time to win the game.

Brady told radio station WEEI: "We've got a lot of confidence in him. I know it sucks for him. He makes some really good runs to start the game, and then it's knocked out. It's just part of the learning experience.

"He's a tough kid, he's a fighter. We're going to need him down the stretch. We're all going to make mistakes.

"We've all got to be prepared to overcome them, too. That's what we're going to need. We're going to need everybody."

The Patriots are 8-3 in their season after week 12.