This will not be any given Sunday

ENGLEWOOD • Josh McDaniels claimed the Denver Broncos’ next game was just like any other on the schedule, then sheepishly smiled and waited for the next question when faced with a skeptical follow-up question.

This is a unique week for the Broncos head coach. He coached eight years in New England, the final three as its offensive coordinator, and now is getting ready to coach against the Patriots this Sunday.

Many of McDaniels’ philosophies and beliefs have come from Patriots coach Bill Belichick. McDaniels brought in former Patriots like running back LaMont Jordan, long-snapper Lonie Paxton, defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith, offensive lineman Russ Hochstein and receiver Jabar Gaffney not only because they knew his schemes, but they could be positive influences in the locker room.

Just another game? No way.

“Look, it will be fun,” McDaniels said when asked again later in his Monday press conference. “It will be fun coaching against Bill and the staff there. I have got a great deal of respect for them. I know how talented they are and how tremendous of a staff they have there.”

McDaniels said there are absolutely no negative feelings going into the game. Belichick has shown some bad feelings towards former assistant Eric Mangini, although much of that likely stems from the Patriots’ Spygate scandal.

There don’t seem to be any bad feelings from Belichick’s side. He told Boston media Monday, according to the Boston Herald, that he has a lot of respect for McDaniels.

Hochstein was with McDaniels in New England, and he said he didn’t notice a change in his coach’s demeanor.

“I think he approached it like any other week,” Hochstein said. “We take each game one week at a time, and I think that’s how he’s approached it.”