ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Peyton Manning threw for 438 yards — more than he amassed in all but five games in his career — averaged 7.7 yards per attempt and was the only one who kept the Broncos from collapse in a three-phase, 43-21 loss at New England on Sunday.

He threw two interceptions, but only one was his fault; the other bounced off Wes Welker’s hands and chest before Brandon Browner intercepted it.

But Manning was angrier at himself than at any point this season — and perhaps in his entire three-year stint as Denver’s starting quarterback.

“I was talking to (Broncos radio play-by-play broadcaster) Dave Logan and he said, ‘I’ve never heard you say you stink before,’ and I said, ‘I don’t usually stink, but I stunk today,'” Manning said.

“On offense, we just didn’t do the things that we talked about doing. And that starts with me,” he added. “I’ve got to play better. It’s pretty plain and simple. (If) the quarterback stinks, usually you’re not going to win many games.”

Certainly, Manning was not without blame; his misread of a Patriots zone blitz led to a Rob Ninkovich interception that set up the touchdown that put New England in front for good.

But this was a loss that encompassed all three phases. The defense struggled on third downs and allowed Tom Brady to gash it with underneath throws to Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Brandon LaFell and Shane Vereen, all of whom caught touchdown passes.

The special teams was directly responsible for 10 points, coming via an 84-yard punt return conceded to Julian Edelman in the second quarter and a field goal that followed a 15-yard penalty against Kayvon Webster on the Patriots’ first possession.

“I think we all stunk,” coach John Fox said. “There were some good, there were some bad. Not enough good. Really, at the end of the day, the buck stops here. That’s on me. … We all have our signature on it, and it wasn’t to our liking. I think we’re capable of better — not just one guy.”

But will better be enough? Now the Broncos must hope they can outpace the Patriots in the standings — which will happen only if the Patriots lose at least once in their seven remaining games. New England has a half-game lead for home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs — plus the tiebreaker.

Otherwise, the Broncos could face another trip to Foxborough — where they haven’t won since 2006, have suffered five consecutive losses by an average of 20.8 points, and just incurred the worst regular-season loss of the Manning era in Denver.

NOTES: LB Nate Irving will be out indefinitely after suffering a sprained MCL in the second half Sunday. … WR Wes Welker did not return after taking a shot to the lower back after dropping a third-quarter pass that bounced into Brandon Browner’s grasp for an interception. Welker said he was OK after the game. … CB Omar Bolden returned after missing two games with a concussion suffered Oct. 19 against San Francisco. … S Quinton Carter missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury.

REPORT CARD VS. PATRIOTS

–PASSING OFFENSE: B-minus — The Broncos posted a gaudy yardage total, with more than half coming with the game still competitive in the first 40 minutes, so it’s not as though Peyton Manning’s 438-yard performance was strictly a result of garbage-time work. But two interceptions led to 14 Patriots points that proved to be the difference between a close game and the rout that transpired.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: D — A viable ground game would have helped ease the pressure on Manning and keep the Patriots’ defense off-balance. But early attempts at stretch plays and draws did not work, and Broncos running backs gained just 40 yards on 15 carries — with 18 yards coming on the last three plays of the game.

–PASS DEFENSE: C-minus — The front four got pressure, but not on a consistent enough basis to disrupt Tom Brady. But the disappointing part of the pass defense was on the back lines, where the safeties and linebackers were slow to react to underneath routes from running backs and tight end Rob Gronkowski, who got too many free releases and gashed the Broncos for 105 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions.

–RUSH DEFENSE: B-plus — New England’s rushing game was rarely a factor. Just two of the 23 carries for Jonas Gray and Shane Vereen resulted in first downs, and they averaged 2.7 yards per carry. Denver got good interior push from Terrance Knighton and Derek Wolfe against the run, making the Patriots one-dimensional.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: D-minus — In this area, the Broncos were a mess. Britton Colquitt’s dropped punt snap discombobulated the punt-coverage team enough to open a lane for Julian Edelman’s 84-yard return for a touchdown. Although the play should have come back for an illegal block in the back that was missed, the Broncos still failed to contain Edelman on the right side, leaving that flank wide open. Brandon McManus hit the right upright on a 41-yard field-goal attempt, and with another similar kick looming later in the second quarter, John Fox opted to go for it on fourth down — with the wind at his team’s back, making a statement about the lack of confidence in the first-year kicker. A 15-yard penalty for fair-catch interference by Kayvon Webster also led directly to a Patriots field goal.

–COACHING: C-minus — With 10 days to get ready for the Patriots, the Broncos expected a better result than they got. The offense was timid on its first two possessions before finding its footing, and the defense never got comfortable. Multiple defenders cited communication as a problem Sunday, and it offered evidence that the Broncos were not as prepared as they should have been.