“Not a lot of people gave them a chance in this one,” the words of Jim Nantz on the broadcast, as the Denver Broncos took the final snap of the game in the victory formation.

It’s true.

The Broncos were as high as three and a half point home underdogs during the week, 85 percent of prognosticators for ESPN and USA Today picked the Patriots, one SI writer picked the Patriots to win 42-17, it goes on. The overarching feeling was that Brady would get his and the Broncos offense wouldn’t be able to match him.

As you now know, just about everybody was wrong, the Broncos made Tom Brady into their personal tackling dummy and Brady’s poor history in Denver held true, with the only two quarterbacks he’s beaten in the mile-high air remaining to be Danny Kanell and Tim Tebow.

Broncos safety T.J. Ward took his opportunity after the game to let everybody know he took exception to all the talk.

“We felt like we were totally disrespected by everybody in the media,” he said. “I don’t think I heard one telecast that had us winning, and as good as defense we’ve been playing all year that was the focal point—that Tom Brady was going to shred us apart. We took total disrespect to that. Total disrespect.

“Besides the big plays at the end of the game, I think he had about 150 yards passing, got sacked five times, threw a pick and we dogged him. We dominated him,” Ward added. “They’re a great team, but we just don’t like being disrespected. Nobody likes being disrespected. That’s how we felt. We felt disrespected by the entire sports broadcast, everybody. We played like that today.”

Players love to say they don’t hear this stuff but, just like the rest of us, they put on SportsCenter when they get home. They hear it and it affects them.

Ward went on to say that he hopes the same people doubt them leading up to the Super Bowl.

“Go ahead. We feed off of that. Keep us as the underdog, whoever wins,” he said. “Tell us how bad we are and how we can’t cover and stop ‘this person,’ and I bet we win the Super Bowl.”

I got good news for you, T.J., you and your teammates are already four and a half point underdogs against the Carolina Panthers and plenty of people are going to tell you that you can’t stop Cam Newton.