Matthew Slater: Patriots Can't Feel Sorry For Selves After Loss To Broncos

This is no time for self-pity.

The Patriots suffered a 30-24 overtime loss to the Broncos on Sunday night in Denver, ending New England’s quest for an undefeated season. The Pats can’t afford to mope around, though, as they’ll host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13 at Gillette Stadium.

“It’s tough when you lose a game like that and you feel like you played well enough to win,” Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater said Monday on WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni and Fauria” while discussing New England’s loss in the Mile High City. “But that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Slater, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, has been with the Patriots for eight seasons, so he knows as well as anyone that expectations for the organization are high. Head coach Bill Belichick demands hard work from his players, who fought tooth and nail Sunday night despite coming up short against an AFC rival.

“We went out there and we knew it was going to be a tough game for us, but we competed well,” Slater said. “We’ve got to be proud of the fact that we went out there and competed well. And also we have to understand our football team. All of our goals that we want to accomplish on the season are still out there for us.

“So, no time to feel sorry for ourselves. (We’ve) got to bounce back and have a good week against Philly.”

Losses aren’t common in New England, which explains the outside panic whenever an opponent takes down Belichick’s bunch. But the Patriots are the defending Super Bowl champions for a reason.

The page already has been turned. It’s on to the next job.