No excuses.
That’s what Broncos defensive end Robert Ayers said today about the 41-23 loss to New England on Dec. 18 in Denver. The Patriots overcame an early deficit by taking advantage of three turnovers to score 20 points in the second quarter.
It was more than the turnovers, Ayers said. It wasn’t just Denver beating itself, he said.
“They definitely beat us, now,” Ayers said. “We did some things to hurt ourselves and shoot ourselves in the foot. But they beat us.
“We couldn’t stop them. We couldn’t score. We couldn’t do anything on special teams. They definitely beat us. We helped them out with some things … but they definitely beat us.”
The rematch is 6 p.m. Saturday, a second-round AFC playoff game at Foxborough, Mass.
Ayers was asked what it will take for the Broncos to reverse the outcome.
“We just need to execute,” Ayers said. “That’s the one thing (the Patriots) do so well. On third down, they convert a lot. Red zone? They score a lot.
“So we just have to execute. On third down, we have to get off the field. When they get to the red zone, we have to hold them to 3 (points) or possibly force a turnover. After they got 17 points (to take a one-point lead), we didn’t do a good job of holding them to 3 points or getting off the field. We’ve got to do that. We know they’re going to get their plays.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
