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Broncos’ standout pass rusher says Denver was ‘definitely better team’
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- Broncos’ standout pass rusher says Denver was ‘definitely better team’
The Broncos fell short of Super Bowl 60 in their AFC Championship Game loss to the Patriots . But Nik Bonitto believes the better team is going home and not to Levi’s Stadium in two weeks.
“It’s sickening to think that all we fought through this year, all the games we had to win, knowing we were definitely the better team,” Denver’s star linebacker said after the 10-7 loss, via DNVR Sports’ Zac Stevens . “But it just didn’t work out that way today.”
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Bonitto notched 14 sacks in the regular season for the Broncos , but did not register a stat in Sunday’s boxscore.
The Broncos were in the driver’s seat by not allowing Drake Maye and the offense to get much going. But blizzard-like conditions in the second half made it difficult for both teams on both sides of the ball.
Broncos coach Sean Payton also elected to keep the offense on the field in the second quarter on 4th-and-1 rather than kick a field goal to try to go up 10-0 over New England .
Denver was without starting quarterback Bo Nix after he broke his ankle in the Broncos’ overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Division game and had to rely on career backup Jarrett Stidham .
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But more went the right way for the Patriots throughout the game. Maye only amassed 86 passing yards, but used his legs for New England’s only touchdown and a crucial first-down run in the fourth quarter. Christian Gonzalez played a fourth-quarter interception of Stidham perfectly and Leonard Taylor blocked what would have been the game-tying field goal.
While Bonitto believes the better team lost, Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte thought differently.
“If you were the better team, you would be going to the Super Bowl,” he told USA TODAY Sports . “Honestly. It’s a team game. And one man didn’t win the game.”
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