NFL fans rip Steve Smith Sr. over pregame comments on Patriots WRs - "Did 0 prep for a job that pays him very well"

The New England Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos 26-23 on Sunday, and they may have had some extra motivation to do so.

The long-eliminated former overlords of the AFC East nearly squandered a 16-point lead in the fourth after two fourth-quarter touchdown/two-point conversion drives by Russell Wilson, but rookie kicker Chad Ryland fully redeemed himself for his early misses with a 56-yard field goal with two seconds remaining.

But in the lead-up to the game, former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. made this rather bizarre comment on Foxboro's woes at wide receiver.

"They got like 10 of them on the staff. I need all of them. DeVante Parker, I need you to show up. Kendrick Bourne, I know he’s probably not, I think he’s hurt, need him to show up. JuJu Smith-Schuster, he’s on the sideline, need him to show up. Uh, who else they have?" Smith Sr. said on the broadcast.

Unbeknownst to him, the latter players he mentioned were unavailable for the game. Bourne had torn his ACL during their 17-31 Week 8 loss at the dominant Miami Dolphins, while Smith-Schuster was nursing an ankle injury.

And fans crucified him for it:

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What Patriots players said after 26-23 defeat of Broncos

While the New England Patriots have been out of playoff contention for two gamedays now, they did severely damage the Denver Broncos' bid to replace the Kansas City Chiefs as the rulers of the AFC West. After the game, center David Andrews credited the result to their mental toughness:

“Chad bouncing back. The offense, (DeVante Parker) making a huge play and then great situational football at the end and (Christian Barmore). Great night for B-More.”

Speaking of Chad Ryland, he said he would never lose faith in himself, even amidst his struggles:

“Honestly, I didn’t waver in confidence at all, because I knew the guys I had around me still believed in me and have believed in me all year. And that means more to an athlete, and even more so a kicker.”

And finally, Ezekiel Elliott, who began the Patriots' third-quarter onslaught with an athletic 21-yard reception, said he had been studiously learning the play via film of low tackles:

“A lot of (defensive backs) may see bigger guys in the open field and try to go low. I just had a feeling that he was going to go low. I knew if I got over this guy, I’d have a good chance of scoring.”

Next for the team is a visit to Orchard Park, where they will look to spoil the Buffalo Bills' quest for a fourth consecutive AFC East title.