When the Denver Broncos take the field against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field this Sunday, Bills fans will expect a victory.
The team is beaming with confidence after their second-year quarterback, Josh Allen, earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his four-touchdown performance in a 37-20 victory in Miami in Week 11. The team is sitting at 7-3 and are on a trajectory towards postseason football for the second time in three seasons.
Any young western New Yorker is seeing what many Buffalo fans saw throughout the ’90s – consistent winning brought on by a quarterback with rare talent.
The Bills are undoubtedly entering the gauntlet of their schedule. Just two of the six opponents remaining on the team’s slate is below .500 in the standings with the three of the other four sitting in playoff spots. That fourth is the Pittsburgh Steelers who are currently “in the hunt.”
The remaining six games feature opponents who currently sit in the upper echelon of the NFL. The Bills go on the road to New England and Dallas, plus they will face a hot Baltimore team at home. This Sunday’s game versus the Denver Broncos is also nothing to sniff at.
Denver is currently 3-7 but their record is in no way indicative of the team they are. The Broncos have lost four very winnable games in the fourth quarter this season, each in a style that feels painfully familiar for Buffalo fans.
John Heath of Broncos Wire broke down each of the four plays that lead to Denver’s demise.
In Week 2 against the Chicago Bears, the Broncos lost 16-14 on a last-second field goal. Had that field goal been unsuccessful, Denver would have started the year 1-1. A few plays before the field goal attempt, Broncos outside linebacker Bradley Chubb was incorrectly penalized for roughing the passer.
In Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver lost 26-24 on a late field goal. Had that attempt been unsuccessful, the Broncos could have started the year 2-2. Denver outside linebacker Von Miller was questionably penalized for roughing the passer on Jacksonville’s game-winning drive.
In Week 8 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Broncos lost 15-13 on yet another late field goal. Had those three late-game kicks been unsuccessful, Denver could have started the year 5-3.
In Week 11, the Broncos were in position to take a 30-27 lead over the Minnesota Vikings on the road but quarterback Brandon Allen was unable to connect with tight end Noah Fant in the end zone on the final play of the game. Denver lost 27-23. Had Fant caught that pass and had those three kicks mentioned earlier gone wide, the Broncos could have started the year 7-3.
What wasn’t mentioned about the team’s Week 8 loss to the Colts was the incredible play by Indianapolis quarterback, Jacoby Brissett, in the endzone to escape the gripe of a near Von Miller safety. He completed that pass near midfield to T.Y. Hilton and the drive lead to the game-winning 51-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri. I’d recommend checking that play out here.
The comparison to the Bills of old doesn’t end there. Denver’s poor record has largely overshadowed a stellar defense. The Broncos are top-10 in many defensive categories. They’re fourth in total yards per game allowed, fifth in passing yards per game, eighth in point per game, and 11th in rushing yards per game.
While Sunday seems like a calm before the storm for Buffalo regarding their upcoming schedule, Denver is a worthy opponent and could pose issues for the Bills if they’re caught thinking about Thanksgiving in Dallas next Thursday.