ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning declared what happened this past Sunday against the New England Patriots as an aromatic effort -- "I stunk today," Manning said following the 43-21 loss -- even as he finished with his 14th career 400-yard passing day.

The Broncos did have two 100-yard receivers -- Demaryius Thomas (127 yards) and Emmanuel Sanders (151 yards) -- as Manning went for four bills, but Patriots coach Bill Belichick did what he so often has done against Manning in recent years. He took a favorite target away -- this time it was tight end Julius Thomas -- and forced Manning to make his reads and to work to the outside of the hashmarks more.

So, with that in mind, after a long look at the game video, here are some thoughts on the Broncos' offense:

The Patriots used a variety of personnel in the front six when in the nickel package (five defensive backs) they played plenty. And they got quality efforts from many of those players, but it was defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, who was consistently wrecking things. The 11th-year veteran set the tone when he tossed aside Broncos guard Orlando Franklin on the Broncos' second play from scrimmage and his co-workers then reeled in Ronnie Hillman for just a 3-yard gain. Wilfork then shoved aside center Manny Ramirez on the Broncos' first play of their second possession so Dont'a Hightower could then tackle Hillman for a 2-yard gain. Wilfork was credited with one solo tackle and one assisted tackle in the game, but his impact went well beyond those numbers.

For the third time this season the Broncos surrendered a sack on a three-man rush. This one came with the Broncos still trying to hang in, trailing 20-7 with just over two minutes remaining in the first half. Rushing just three, Wilfork plowed in to Franklin to gets things started, creating a gap between Franklin and Ramirez, who had started to look, and slide, to his right. Outside linebacker Akeem Ayers, who had lined at the right defensive end, looped around Wilfork, into that gap, moving past Ramirez. And much like they did in one of the two sacks they surrendered on a three-man rush against the New York Jets, the Broncos ended up with three blockers on one defender away from the free rusher. This time Ramirez, right guard Louis Vasquez and right tackle Paul Cornick were all engaged with Dominique Easley as Ayers tackled Manning.

Belichick once again chose a variety of coverage looks against Manning, but this time usually locked up his cornerbacks on whatever players the Broncos lined up out wide, no matter what position those players played. As a result, the Patriots often had cornerbacks on tight end Julius Thomas -- usually Brandon Browner -- as well as Hillman when he went wide in the formation. The Patriots then used everybody else in the middle of the field, a strategy that worked because of linebacker Jamie Collins' versatility. Collins has exceptional speed -- he ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the scouting combine before the 2013 draft -- and flexibility in his hips. As a result Collins matched up, in coverage, with the likes of Hillman and even Sanders at times. Like Wilfork, Collins consistently won the matchups Belichick put him in and it all kept the ball away from Julius Thomas and Wes Welker in the middle of the field -- the two finished with a combined five catches.

A guy can't throw for 438 yards if you don't get a couple right as well. Manning found Julius Thomas for an 18-yard touchdown when the Patriots finally had a safety -- Patrick Chung -- matched up on him instead of a corner. And on a 23-yard completion to Demaryius Thomas in the second quarter, Manning got Collins out of a potential blitz situation, by moving Hillman out of the backfield into the slot before the snap. Collins had Hillman in man coverage, so he had to follow.