Malcolm Butler stared straight ahead into his locker for a few seconds. His silence, however, made it seem more like a few hours.
The Patriots cornerback was seemingly searching for an appropriate answer to a simple question — does the loss in last year’s AFC Championship game in Denver motivate him for Sunday’s date with the Broncos back at Mile High? When his contemplation was complete, he came up with an answer that was both appropriate and simple.
“Yup,’’ he said, emphatically nodding his head. “Yup.’’
It was a refreshing response in a day when lots of athletes tend to say they don’t reflect on the past games — whether they’re wins or losses.
Butler is enjoying another standout season on the heels of his first Pro Bowl campaign. Often matched up with the opponents’ top receiver, Butler is fourth on the Patriots with 54 tackles and is the team leader with 15 passes defensed and a pair of interceptions. For good measure he has a sack, a forced fumble, and fumble recovery.
Butler was limited in practice all week after suffering a hip injury against the Ravens, but he’s expected to start and handle his normal workload in Denver.
He said he’s unsure who he’ll be locked up with Sunday — “We’ll see how it goes,’’ he said — it’s a safe bet he’ll be in the face of Emmanuel Sanders for a good chunk of the day.
“He’s quick, fast, and he can really go up and get the ball,’’ Butler said of 5-foot-11-inch, 180-pounder Sanders, who has 75 catches for a team-leading 958 yards.
Butler will be prepared for 6-3, 229-pound Demaryius Thomas, as well, Denver’s other bookend receiver, who has a team-high 76 catches for 925 yards.
“Demaryius Thomas is the same way [as Sanders] though he’s a little bigger, a little stronger,’’ said Butler. “He can run and he can jump. They can do each others’ role — that’s how I see it.’’
In two matchups with the Broncos last season Butler matched up with Sanders, while Logan Ryan smothered Thomas. It would stand to reason the Patriots would employ the same strategy for this game.
Sanders had nine catches on 15 targets for 147 yards while being defended by Butler, who had a pair of pass breakups. Ryan allowed two catches for a paltry 41 yards.
Ryan, who had five pass breakups, recalled those matchups.
“I remember how big and freakishly of an athlete he is. He’s a great competitor and I just knew it brought the best out in me,’’ said Ryan. “[You need] a lot of intense focus every single play. I think I was pretty much trying not to have any plays off when I play a guy like that.’’
Bill Belichick acknowledged the problems the 1-2 punch of Sanders and Thomas can create, but warned that Denver’s got other weapons, as well.
“You’ve got to have some kind of plan for it,’’ said the coach. “It’s a lot easier when you only have to worry about one guy, but when you have two guys like that it definitely puts a lot of stress on the defense. Not every pass goes to one of them, but if they hit a big one that could be the end of the drive, too. So yeah, they’re tough to defend.’’
Altitude attitude
It’s a homecoming for Patriots left tackle Nate Solder, who grew up in Buena Vista and attended Colorado. He missed both games last season with a torn right biceps. Though a lot is made of the altitude in Denver (the city is a mile above sea level), Solder kind of debunked the theory last week. “You know, at CU, we certainly made a big deal about that — we put up banners and signs [to try to get in opponents’ heads] — but we didn’t win that many games,’’ Solder said with a laugh. “So, is it a big deal? I think when you’re highly trained, you can minimize some of those effects. I’m not a scientist, by any means, but growing up there and living there, I’ve never noticed anything.’’ . . . An under-the-radar player to watch Sunday is Bronco returner Kalif Raymond. The former Holy Cross star was recently promoted from the practice squad and is averaging 10.2 yards on six punt returns. The 5-9, 160-pounder has blistering speed and remarkable quickness . . . Noted “Star Wars’’ aficionado Alan Branch was unable to provide a review for new release “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.’’ “I haven’t seen that one. I have all these kids and my family. I never get to go to the movies. I might have to wait for the DVD so I can watch it when I’m watching the babies some night.’’ . . . A win Sunday will wrap up the AFC East and a first-round bye. A hat and T-shirt game, as ex-linebacker Tedy Bruschi was fond of saying.
Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globejimmcbride.
