Foxborough, Mass. – It is logical to Chad Brown that the Broncos stand in his way of earning his first Super Bowl title and his teammates’ fourth in five years.
The Broncos have been a problem for the former University of Colorado star for most of his 13-season NFL career.
“It makes total sense,” Brown said Saturday after New England roughed up Jacksonville 28-3 in an AFC wild- card game at Gillette Stadium.
At the time, Brown wasn’t sure the Patriots’ next trip was going to be to Denver. But he was pondering it. Sunday evening, it became reality after Pittsburgh won at Cincinnati 31-17 in the other wild- card game.
Brown and New England will visit Invesco Field at Mile High at 6 p.m. Saturday in the AFC divisional playoffs.
For Brown, who played for Seattle from 1997-2004 and was an AFC West foe of the Broncos for five seasons, having to face with Denver is old news.
“For me, I’ve had to deal with Denver for so many years, so I know how difficult it is to go there and win,” said the Highlands Ranch resident, who considered signing with Denver during the offseason. “People talk about the Broncos being a team on the rise, but they’ve been good as long as I can remember. It’s the same thing.
“It’s Tom Nalen anchoring the offensive line. It’s Rod Smith somehow getting that first down every time he catches the ball. It’s the running back system that works with every back they have. It’s Coach (Mike) Shanahan and his system. … It makes sense if we have to go try to beat Denver.”
The Patriots got a glimpse of the difficultly of playing at Denver on Oct. 16. The Broncos won 28-20 after holding off New England’s second-half surge.
“The Denver Broncos will be our toughest challenge this season,” New England coach Bill Belichick said through the team Sunday night. “To have any chance, it will take our best game and certainly a lot better performance than the last time we played them.”
The Patriots – who scored 21 unanswered points Saturday night against the overmatched Jaguars – were confident they are a better team than they were three months ago. After starting 5-5, the Patriots won five straight games before dropping their regular- season finale to Miami. The Patriots are much healthier, especially on defense, than when they were in Denver this season.
“I think we’re better than we were last time we went out to Denver,” said New England tight end Christian Fauria, who also played at CU. “But you know what? We’re going to have to be better. Denver is hot right now and winning out there is not going to be easy.”
New England linebacker Willie McGinest – who had 4 1/2 sacks against Jacksonville – said stopping Denver’s running game is paramount.
“That’s the way it always is with Denver,” McGinest said. “The last time we played them, they ran over us.”
McGinest and New England quarterback Tom Brady said it would take the Patriots’ best effort of the season to advance.
“I don’t think this is going to be like playing at home in front of our crowd,” Brady said. “There are a lot of issues that come up when you play on the road.”
EYE ON THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Saturday, 6 p.m., KCNC-4
* For the record: The Patriots finished the regular season 10-6, first in the AFC East.
* Last game: Beat visiting Jacksonville 28-3 in an AFC wild-card game Saturday. New England scored 21 unanswered points in the second half.
* Streaking: New England has won 10 straight postseason games, dating to the 2001 season.
* Who’s hot: Linebacker-end Willie McGinest had 4 1/2 sacks against Jacksonville, an NFL single-game record for the playoffs. McGinest has 16 sacks in the postseason, also an NFL record.
* Who’s not: Running back Corey Dillon had just 40 yards on 17 carries, much of it in garbage time, against the Jaguars. Dillon didn’t start the game, as the Patriots used Patrick Pass ahead of Dillon.
* Key stat: The Patriots are 21-1 with Tom Brady as quarterback when they play games in freezing weather. The long-term forecast calls for a cold evening Saturday.
* FYI: Denver beat New England at Invesco Field at Mile High in October. The most recent time Denver hosted a team in the playoffs after playing it at home during the regular season was Pittsburgh in the 1989 season. Denver won both games.
* Injury update: Linebacker Tedy Bruschi didn’t play against Jacksonville because of a calf injury. He’ll likely be questionable this week.
* Coachspeak: “We settled down and played well in the second half,” New England coach Bill Belichick said after Saturday’s victory.
Bill Williamson can be reached at 303-820-5450 or bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
