DENVER -- A trip to the Super Bowl is fuel enough.
But for the Broncos, a week of hearing about the Patriots' greatness and the inevitability of a New England win provided the best additive to a gas tank's reservoir since Barf and Lone Starr poured Liquid Schwartz into the Winnebago in Spaceballs.
They heard the pundits. They saw Sports Illustrated predict not just a Patriots win, but a 42-17 beatdown against a defense that had not allowed more than 29 points at home all season.
Their rage grew. Numbers couldn't quantify what the Broncos -- especially those on their top-ranked defense -- felt every time the Patriots' expected dominance was trumpeted.