Philadelphia Eagles

Evan Mathis: 'I was the worst' Broncos lineman vs. Ravens

Published Sep. 16, 2015 12:31 a.m. ET

foxsports

First start or not, Evan Mathis won't stand for a poor performance.

So the former Pro Bowler stepped forward to take the lion's share of the blame for Sunday's blocking struggles.

“I was the worst of the group," Mathis said in a video posted to DenverBroncos.com. "I believed we could have run the ball a little better."

Denver mustered only 69 rushing yards in their opener. Mathis knows his line-mates have to do better.

They could've kept Peyton Manning upright a little more often, too. No. 18 took four sacks -- the most he's endured since his first return to Indianapolis in 2013.

Mathis' side of the line surrendered the most pressures. As a veteran, Mathis is willing to shoulder the blame before letting it trickle down to left tackle Ty Sambrailo -- the weakest link on the offensive line in Week 1.

"Overall, we were inconsistent, highs and lows," Mathis said. "But definitely something. That stuff is very valuable, to be able to learn from it.”

Credit Mathis for seizing a leadership role on his new team. Now, it's up to him and four other blockers to gel before it's too late.

(h/t Denver Broncos)