Mark Cannizzaro

Mark Cannizzaro

NFL

John Fox has become sly after being so shy

DENVER — Sunday night, even in the glow of victory, Broncos coach John Fox wanted no part of being praised for his evolution as a game manager a year after authoring one of his worst moments. He wanted no part of it on Monday afternoon, either.

NFL coaches, even the good guys like Fox, hate being wrong and — even more — detest being second-guessed.

A year ago, in a devastating 38-35 double-overtime AFC divisional playoff loss to the Ravens in Denver, Fox was second-guessed so lustily for being too conservative late in regulation, the wrath did not truly cease until the final seconds ticked off the clock in the Broncos’ 24-17 divisional playoff win over the Chargers on Sunday.

This is why Fox wants no part of being praised for the evolution (guts?) he showed on Sunday when, faced with an eerily-similar situation against the surging Chargers in the fourth quarter, he went for the jugular instead of playing scared.

You see, if he accepted the praise for dialing up that huge 21-yard Peyton Manning pass to Julius Thomas on third-and-17 from deep in Denver territory with 3:07 remaining, then Fox would be giving in to the second- guessing from year ago.

Make no mistake though: Born from the disgusting way the Broncos’ 2012 season ended came a mantra Fox and his players have not forgotten this year — finish.

The Broncos failed to finish that Baltimore game a year ago. They also spit up on themselves in a 34-31 loss to the Patriots on Nov. 24 in New England, where they built a 24-0 halftime lead.

Sunday against the Chargers? Fox and friends finished. And now they’re a victory over New England away from Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium.

“Yeah, it was a very similar situation that we were in last year,’’ Broncos guard Zane Beadles said Monday. “That’s something that we’ve talked about all year long that if we’re in that situation again, we’re not going to let what happened last year happen again. We’re going to finish with the ball in our hands.

“I definitely think that played a role in it this year, this time around that we had that mind-set that we weren’t going to let that happen again.”

Part of not letting it happen again was the aggressive way Fox called the game — ironically against Chargers head coach Mike McCoy, who was his offensive coordinator a year ago.

Maybe McCoy figured on Fox playing it the same as he did a year ago, when in the final three minutes of regulation the Broncos called five consecutive running plays (including one on a third-and-7) and punted with 1:15 left — making way for a Ravens’ 70-yard game-tying bomb.

Maybe McCoy figured on the same Fox who, with Manning behind center, two timeouts and 31 seconds remaining, opted to lay on the ball and settle for overtime after the Ravens tied the game.

Fox’s reasoning a year ago was his team was in shock from the game-tying Hail Mary.

“It was like a prize fighter who gets a right cross on the chin at the end of a round,’’ he said the day after the loss to the Ravens. “You’re looking to get out of the round. That might not be the ideal time to go for a knockout punch.”

On Sunday, Fox and the Broncos did the punching late, knocking out the Chargers. Next to climb through the ropes and into the ring at Mile High are the Patriots, fittingly one of the finest finishers in the game.

“First, we have to start fast like we did last time we went up there, but we just have to finish,’’ Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. “A guy like [Patriots quarterback] Tom Brady, you can’t give him an opportunity with a minute left to win the game. He’s been in that situation plenty of times. We want to eliminate him having a chance to beat us at the end of the game and put him out early.”